The King's Park Irregulars

by David Wilson

  ‘I’ve seen you before and since you seem to be a friend of the Mills I thought I should let you know about Alasdair.’

  Abigail laughed. ‘Now that’s a conversation with a lot of possibilities. Anything in particular?’ Dorothy ushered her into the house and into the lounge and explained her meeting with Alasdair a little over an hour ago.

  ‘He seemed to be very upset. I hope he’s not going to do anything rash. He went home but then came out again twenty minutes later and marched up the street. Do you think he’s OK?’ Abigail could feel the frustration grow within her again. Trust Alasdair to go off on a tangent on this rather than wait. But maybe he had just been blethering and he hadn’t gone to Milton’s house after all?

  ‘I’m sure he’ll be fine, he often gets a bee in his bonnet but it doesn’t usually mean much. He is prone to jumping off the deep end but then calming down fairly quickly. You said that there’s a camera on which you can view the park? Can I see it?’ Dorothy opened up her laptop and navigated to the website.

  ‘See, quite a good view of the whole thing. I take it you’ll be going Mrs Craig?’

  ‘Abigail, please. Yes, certainly. Will I see you there Dorothy?’

  Dorothy shook her head. ‘No, as I said to Mr Mills I don’t really go out at all these days. But I’ll be watching it on the camera here and I’ll be joining in the spirit of it – I have bread and butter for my toast, a nice Marks and Spencer’s roast dinner – one of those ones you pop in the oven – and a Victoria sponge to follow, and of course a nice tea to go along with it.’ She smiled at Abigail. ‘I do hope Mr Mills is fine.’

  Abigail stood to leave. ‘Yes, don’t worry. Alasdair can look after himself and he always looks like he’s going to get himself into more bother than he actually ends up in.’ If only this were true, Abigail thought to herself. ‘Thanks for letting me know. I’ll see if I can find him but if not I’ll speak to him later. I think Sophie is still at the park so I might go and see how she’s getting on.’

  Dorothy glanced over at the laptop screen. ‘Yes, there she is. Nice to meet you Abigail, do call back anytime and we could maybe have some tea.’ Abigail assured her she would and set off in the direction of the park. I’ll go and see how Sophie’s doing but maybe it’s best not to mention any of this to her just now; she’s got enough on her plate.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  The door opened and a squat bald man looked at Alasdair through narrow, suspicious eyes. ‘What do you want?’ he said in a rough voice. Alasdair couldn’t be sure but this looked like one of the men he had seen through the kitchen window the other night.

  ‘I’d like a word with Mr Scott please.’

  ‘He’s not in, go away.’ The man started to close the door but Alasdair blurted out.

  ‘I know what he’s been up to.’ The man paused. ‘If he won’t speak to me then perhaps I’ll just need to go and speak to someone else – the police perhaps.’ A voice echoed down the hall.

  ‘It’s alright, let him in.’ The man moved aside and Alasdair could see Milton Scott walking towards him as he walked up the entrance hall. ‘Mr Mills, what a pleasant surprise. Would you like to join me in the lounge?’ Milton pushed open a door and gestured inside. Alasdair walked into the room a little hesitantly – he hadn’t considered the fact that the heavies he had seen before might actually be here. In truth he hadn’t actually considered anything before coming here, which made him wonder exactly what his detective manual would have to say about that. Still, he was here now and Milton would know fine that if anything happened to him then the police would be down on him like a tonne of bricks. If only I had told Abigail I was coming here I’d feel a little bit more secure. He looked around at the room he and Sophie had been in earlier this week, not quite sure what he was looking for, but then he did wonder if any of the things in here were part of the bounty from other thefts. I’m sure he wouldn’t be stupid enough to keep things like that in the open, just in case, but sometimes these types of people are arrogant enough to think they’re smarter than everyone else.

  Milton sat down in a leather armchair. ‘So, if I heard you correctly you know what I’ve been up to? Excuse my ignorance but what would that be exactly? That is other than helping your good wife out of a hole with the high tea event tomorrow of course.’ Alasdair was starting to feel angry again, just with the sight of this man sitting there coolly being enough to make his blood rise.

  ‘Aah yes, the great Milton Scott, all round good egg,’ Alasdair paced around the room, ‘but I know all about you now. I’ve done some checking and discovered your big secret!’

  Milton looked unperturbed. ‘What exactly would that be Alasdair?’

  The familiar use of his name just annoying Alasdair even more. ‘You’re nothing but a thief, a common thief. You see we’ve checked and I know all about your little game. It’s no coincidence that when someone puts things onto your website to be valued then, surprise surprise, they get stolen! You’ve got a great scheme going here haven’t you. It used to be that burglars had to go around neighbourhoods and look in the windows or take a guess if there was anything worth stealing but not you, no you’ve got the twenty-first-century solution to that haven’t you?’ He didn’t wait for an answer, being in full flow now. ‘Anything which turns up on your website you’ve got a picture of, the address where it’s kept and you even know if it’s worth the effort to steal it. Am I on the right track, Milton?’

  Milton smiled and held up his hands. ‘Please go on, this is just fascinating stuff Alasdair.’

  ‘I’m guessing that you get your goons to go and steal it then bring it back to you and you sell it on to a collector. It’s a clever system but unfortunately you never figured on us digging into this did you? I knew there was something fishy about you the first time I met you and then when you told me about the hole in my slippers, then I had it confirmed! What do you think about that?’ Alasdair puffed his chest out triumphantly and waited for Milton to start coming up with his ridiculous explanation. But it didn’t happen. In a rather stereotypical kind of way Milton just started clapping his hands.

  ‘That’s quite incredible Mr Mills. I’m impressed. To be honest I did curse myself after you and your wife left and I realised what I’d done. I’m usually the most careful person you’ll ever meet but somehow you just seemed to annoy me and I slipped up. Something which I’m sure you’ll be pleased to hear you still seem to have the knack to do.’

  Alasdair smiled. ‘Well, wait until the police find all this out – you won’t be any guest of honour then will you? You’ll be disgraced and banged up in jail as well.’ Alasdair strode off towards the door, expecting Milton to stop him but he just watched from his armchair. Opening the door, Alasdair was confronted by a barricade comprising of the man who opened the front door to him and another man who could have been his twin brother.

  ‘Let me past you bloody oafs, I want to leave.’ He tried to push through but the two men picked him up by his arms and carried him back into the room, before launching him onto the sofa in front of Milton. Alasdair felt his back flare with pain and he let out a yowl.

  ‘Mr Mills,’ it was Milton’s turn to get up and pace the room, ‘this is most inconvenient. You see I was really looking forward to tomorrow, and the fact that you seem intent on going to the police does trouble me somewhat. You see I don’t really like the police, and worse still, I don’t like them asking questions and looking into my affairs. Did you really think you could come around to my home and behave like this and then just walk out of the door again? I think you’ve been reading too many Miss Marple’s and assumed I would just hold up my hands? Tell me, when you thought about this did you really imagine me saying, “Alright, it’s a fair cop” or were you not that clichéd?’ Milton walked over towards Alasdair with a look of anger on his face that made Alasdair recoil, or as much as was possible in his position on the sofa with his aching back. ‘There’s only one thing now that bothers me. Do you know what that is Alasdair?’ />
  Alasdair shook his head warily. ‘No, no idea.’

  ‘We and us.’

  Alasdair looked at him confused. ‘Sorry?’

  ‘We and us, Alasdair. If you had come to me and said that you had found out these things then I would take care of you, terrible accident that sort of thing, and then we would go on as we were. Well, obviously not quite going on as we were for you but you know what I mean. I’m a good study of people Alasdair and when I spoke to your wife earlier today there was not a hint that she thought I was out to do anything bad. In fact, I think she was more aggrieved with you more than anyone else! So, the question I would like answered now is who are we and us?’ Alasdair was still looking confused but the penny was slowly starting to drop.

  ‘It was just me, I did some checking on this and that’s what I found out.’

  ‘No, you had someone helping you and I want to know who.’

  ‘You’re wrong, there’s no one else.’

  Milton stood over him, his face calm but thoughtful. ‘If only I believed you Alasdair. Perhaps you’ll be so kind as to accept my invitation to stay while I decide what we’re to do with you?’

  Alasdair forced a small, pained smile. ‘I don’t suppose I can refuse can I?’ Milton grinned back at him as the two men hoisted Alasdair up and over the back of the couch and dragged him off, shouting loudly, down into the basement.

  Milton sat back down in his chair and laid his head back. If not Sophie, then who’s the other person in Alasdair’s double act? And the other question is, are they the Holmes or the Watson?

  Abigail stood just inside the park gate with a small group of people watching the rehearsals. A string quartet was working its way through some of their repertoire, and down on the grass in front of the stage, Abigail could see Sophie with her arms folded, watching them intently. Every so often someone would come up to her and point somewhere around the park or to the stage, at which point Sophie would scratch her head and then point in the same direction and nod and then the person who had enquired of her would hurry off in that direction. Abigail watched with marvel at Sophie. This would be a big enough job if you were used to organising this sort of thing but she’d done it from a standing start. She should get the freedom of the city if she pulled this off tomorrow.

  Abigail strolled into the park, not sure if she should go over and speak to Sophie or just leave her to it. She decided to go and speak to her – if for no other reason than she might be glad of someone speaking to her who wasn’t asking her questions! She was just pointing someone off to the stage and then giving the thumbs up to the quartet who had finished a piece when she turned and saw Abigail approaching. Abigail waved to her. ‘Hi Sophie, how are things shaping up?’ Sophie let out a huge sigh, which seemed like it must exceed her lung capacity.

  ‘Oh, you know. We’re getting there. The stage and the sound system seem to be fine, it’s just all the little details that everyone needs to ask about. I’m exhausted from it all.’

  ‘I can see. You’ll need a week in bed after this. Anything I can do to help since I’m here?’

  Sophie glanced around. ‘No, not really. I’m expecting some help from the other committee people in a bit so that should help. Have you seen Alasdair today?’

  Abigail shook her head, trying to look nonchalant. ‘No, not seen him. Is he not here with you?’

  ‘Hah, you’re joking! I think his nose is a bit out of joint with my doing all this so he’s staying out of the way.’ Abigail shook her head and started to protest but Sophie held up her hand. ‘Oh I know Abigail, he’s not really like that. I’m just a bit tired at the moment. I didn’t see him this morning – he was still in bed when I got up and God knows what time I’ll get home tonight.’

  ‘Maybe best he’s off somewhere else and not under your feet. I’ll let you get on and if I catch up with Alasdair I’ll tell him to get up here and give you some moral support.’ She gave Sophie a quick hug around the shoulders and then said her goodbyes and walked back towards the gate. Typical, he’s not even thought to come up here today to lend a hand to his wife! Wait until I get a hold of him. She walked back home and stopped at the corner as she saw Emma and a young man leaving the house and going off in the opposite direction. I could tail you two if I wanted you know, she thought, it’d be good practice to get away with following a police officer. Maybe not – I’m sure the course of true love does not run smooth when an interfering old woman follows you on your first date. I’m sure that’s the extended saying. She walked slowly on and went into the house to have a relaxing seat for a while before trying to get a hold of Alasdair later in the afternoon.

  ‘How long have you worked in the police?’ Emma asked as they walked over the hill into town. She liked the look of Chris Buchan – he was taller than her five foot eight and he looked strongly built, if not particularly bulky with it. Short dark hair framed his handsome face.

  ‘Just a couple of years really, still quite new to it all but I like it fine. I hope to get on in the police, not like some of the jobs I’ve had before, those weren’t going anywhere. Hopefully I can end up in the CID someday – I’d love to do that.’ He smiled warmly at her as he held open the door to the coffee shop. ‘What about you? I guess you’ve not long started at the restaurant with it just opening last night?’

  Emma explained the story of her moving in with Abigail and how she had stumbled into the job at The Pudding Furnace. ‘I think I’ll like that fine too although I’d love to do something more, I’m just not sure what it’ll be yet.’ They sat down at a table and ordered two coffees and Chris ordered a blueberry muffin and asked if Emma wanted anything. ‘No thanks. Alec’s testing out desserts at the moment so I’m his guinea pig. It’s hard work but someone’s got to do it.’ Their coffees were brought over and they chatted about this and that, Emma’s work at the restaurant and where she had lived before, what took Chris into the police and, in the main, just general conversation. Chris was quite open and seemed to be enjoying her company and likewise for Emma; she found him quite agreeable.

  ‘Why don’t you join the police?’ he asked her, ‘They’re always looking for new recruits. I think you’d be good in the police.’

  She laughed a little self-consciously. ‘Do you think so? I’ve never given it any thought, but I guess it would be an experience.’

  Chris nodded. ‘Oh, it’s that alright. All of human life is there, but at least you can make a difference and help to solve some crimes as well.’

  ‘I guess, although I think that’s more my Abigail’s domain at the moment.’ Chris looked at her somewhat confused. ‘Oh, she and a friend have been trying to solve a burglary and trap who they think is the mastermind behind it all. All very dramatic. Actually I think they might be on to something but —,’ she paused, ‘maybe I shouldn’t be telling you this. I don’t think they’re quite ready to tell the police,’

  ‘I’m not working at the moment and you can’t stop now – you’ve got me far too intrigued.’

  ‘Well, she has a friend who was burgled recently and from what I can gather he persuaded her to get involved in trying to solve it because,’ she flushed slightly, ‘well, he didn’t think the police were going to do anything. Anyway, they’re now convinced they know who did it and it’s a big national crime wave that he’s involved in.’

  Chris had leaned in a little. ‘Was there much taken in the burglary?’

  Emma laughed. ‘No, only one thing although it’s as daft a thing as I’ve ever heard – a pair of slippers!’ She laughed again but Chris was looking at her quite seriously.

  ‘Not some antique slippers by any chance? What was the name of this friend?’ Emma gave him the name. ‘Oh my God, that’s my case. I was at his house and had to take statements. Sorry if he’s a friend but I thought he was a pretty bad-natured man. When he thought I wasn’t taking it seriously he had a really bad attitude towards me. I think that’s why they sent me to the house, my inspector seemed to know this Alasdair Mills and they m
ust have thought it was one for the new guy! We’re not really any further forward yet – maybe you had better tell me what they’ve found out? I might be able to help push it through the proper channels, or at least make sure they’re not putting themselves in harm’s way.’

  Emma was a little reluctant as she knew she had already said too much but then again it was a bit late now. She gave him the story of Abigail and Alasdair staking out Milton Scott’s home and what they had found out through their research with the library. ‘So why haven’t they gone to the police yet? It sounds like they’re pretty convinced of it all? They’re not going to do something daft are they?’

  ‘Well, I’m fairly sure Abigail won’t but I couldn’t really say the same for Mr Mills. He does seem to be a little unhinged at times.’

  Chris sat back and sipped his coffee. ‘Maybe I’ll pass it on to my sergeant and see what he thinks.’ Emma looked as if she were going to protest. ‘No sense trying to stop me Emma, I’ve got to do my duty. I won’t drop you in it though with Abigail, I’ll make sure your name’s never mentioned.’ She felt slightly reassured but not entirely. The last thing she wanted when Abigail had not long ago agreed to give her a refuge was to have gone behind her back and blabbed when she wasn’t supposed to.