Trodds Lane

by Nick Roteman

  The car actually started first time, greatly surprising the salesman and off they went. Oli managed to crash the gears with almost every change, but the car was very forgiving and ran smoothly nevertheless.

  Back on the garage forecourt, Auburn was the first to get out and walking around to Oli’s side indicated for him to wind down the window, she whispered something in his ear.

  Oli got out and allowed the salesman out too.

  “Miss Grimley is prepared to take the car as seen, and will pay you £800 only. She says this is her final and only offer.”

  The salesman paused for a second before looking over at her. “Right, follow me and we can do the necessary paperwork.”

  Auburn broke into a grin as she linked her arm through Oli’s as they followed the salesman.

  “You’ll need to get insurance first before the garage can tax it.” Oli quietly reminded her.

  “I have already picked a company online, with the details I can do it tonight. Oh just think we can go out for drives you and me!” she said while unnoticed a look of alarm flashed across his face.

  As soon as she was back home she went straight into her bedroom, not even stopping to say hello to Freddy and switched on her laptop.

  She logged onto one of the comparison websites and after filling in her details, pressed the send button and waited, and waited. Only two of the companies listed were prepared to offer her insurance.

  One wanted £950 for a year, plus a £350 excess, the other was worse at £1100 with an excess amount the same as the other.

  “That’s about £75 a month, the cheapest, that’s not fair just because I am a new driver. I might be really good at driving, in fact I am, it’s not fair. It’s not fair!” she screamed at the screen.

  Slamming down the lid of her precious laptop, she stormed out of her bedroom and down the hallway to the living room.

  She popped her head inside and screamed again. “It’s not fair, it’s not Freddy!”

  But the room remained silent to her words. So she headed for the kitchen and poked her head around that door; the kitchen was also empty.

  “Bother, bother, bother! Where are you, I need you, need you now?”

  That only left his bedroom, but this time she actually knocked before entering, then entered anyway before receiving an answer, but the bedroom was also deserted. Promptly doing an about turn, she walked to the front door and slammed it shut behind her as she left heading upstairs to Rachel’s.

  She knocked boldly on her front door and took a step back to wait.

  “I’ve just bought a car!” She announced as she sat down in her kitchen while Rachel put on the kettle.

  “A car, gosh I mean that’s wonderful.” She couldn’t believe it. “What make, although I’m not too good on new cars.”

  “It’s not a new car as such, I couldn’t afford that but it’s super and red!”

  Rachel giggled. “Oh well that’s settled if it’s red, perfect, are you going to give it a name?”

  “Yes ok I suppose, I hadn’t thought of that, although I might say as it is an inanimate object how will a name help?”

  “Don’t be so precise, cars are female and must have a name. It’ll be your best friend and take you fantastic places, oh so much fun, well done you,” she added coming up to Auburn and giving her arm a little squeeze; making her flinch.

  “Oh sorry I forgot, mustn’t be too touchy feely, sorry....” she said in a more sedate manner seeing Auburn frowning at her.

  Auburn looking very serious nodded. “Ok I will think of an appropriate name?”

  “Good, now tea or coffee, I always forget which you prefer?”

  “Coffee please, and can I have a biscuit too, preferably chocolate.”

  They sat down together.

  “So where’s our Freddy?” Rachel asked.

  “I just don’t know. I wanted to tell him about my car and he is out, that’s not right! It was going to be a great surprise, and he’s ruined it.”

  “Oh he’ll be back soon I’m sure, at least you got to tell me first, and I’m really excited for you, and it’ll still be a surprise for Freddy!”

  Auburn glanced over at Rachel and caught her eye before lowering hers to stare at the table. “I need to ask you a serious question. I asked Freddy but he was useless and I am more confused than before!”

  “Go on I’ll try.”

  “I like this man at the library, and want to chat him up, I think I want sex with him.”

  “Wow!” Rachel said, a little shocked by her complete frankness, although she shouldn’t have been surprised that was her way, she only knew how to call a spade a spade, whatever the outcome. Ok she would give it a go. If only her friends could see her now, they would all be laughing at her of all people giving advice on boyfriends!

  “Ok so who is this guy you fancy, tell me all about him.”

  “Oliver Gregson is the manager in charge of the library I work at. He is a little older than me. I think he is very handsome, he is intelligent and well read like me of course and has the same, I duuno..” she shrugged her shoulders. “He is... I understand him and he understands me. We get on really well and... oh I don’t know, I want to ask him out, just him and me...” she faltered and stopped before suddenly glancing up and catching Rachel’s eye. “Help me.” she said in such a sad pathetic way that Rachel had to swallow hard.

  ”Well let me think. Firstly, it sounds like you already have a great empathy with each other, and obviously you like him and by the amount of time he spends with you he obviously likes you too. So... umm., hey I’ve got it. Use your car. Does he have a licence do you know?”

  “Of course he does, he came with me when I bought my car!”

  “Well that’s it then!” She laughed, getting up and putting on the kettle again.

  “Take him for a drive as a way of thanking him for helping you buy it. Go somewhere nice, perhaps a quaint old pub. Yes say for dinner, then see what happens, but allow it to happen, let him make the first move, don’t just make a grab for him. I was going to add be subtle but you don’t do subtle do you my love!”

  “No, I don’t understand such human nuances,” she replied in a tone almost resembling irony. “But I hear what you’re saying and I think I know what you mean. Where shall I go with him, I don’t know this area?”

  “Well, let me make the coffee first and I think I have an old AA book that should give us some cool old places to eat.”

  Auburn finally left about 11.30, very happy and more importantly with a plan. The flat was still deserted, but Freddy’s bedroom door was closed. Quietly opening his door she peeped inside and could see Freddy already asleep in bed, she tiptoed out and went to her room she was too awake for sleep yet, she would play on her computer for a while.

  Tom was at home preparing a sandwich for lunch when there was a loud series of knocks on his front door. He opened the door ready to shout some abuse at the intruder only to be confronted by the police in the shape of DI Simpson accompanied as ever by his DS.

  Ash held up her warrant card, “Mr Phipps, Thomas Phipps?”

  “Yeah that’s me, so!”

  “I’m Detective Sergeant Ash, this is Detective Inspector Simpson, may we come in please sir?”

  “What for?”

  “To talk to you, what you think!” Simpson cut in already peed off with his manner.

  Tom hesitated but did not move, so Simpson continued in his ever-charming way. “Either here or down the station, your choice, but now right!”

  Tom slowly moved to one side and waved them in.

  Pushing back past them, Tom deliberately plonked himself down on the couch, leaving only one remaining chair. Simpson beckoned to Ash to sit while he stood right in front of Tom and glared down at him.

  “Do you know a m
an named Jamie Finch?” he began.

  Tom was alarmed but shook his head slowly.

  “Don’t shake your head,” Simpson warned. “It was a rhetorical question, we already know you do!”

  “Why bloody ask if you already know. What’s this about anyway?” Tom retorted sitting forward on the couch and glaring back at Simpson.

  Ash decided to butt in and diffuse the obvious situation. “You were seen on CCTV, we have footage of you and Mr Finch together in the Blue Lamp Nightclub. I have a picture might refresh your mind,” she said pulling out a picture and waving it in front of him.

  “Might have seen him in the club, can’t remember everybody I meet, what night?”

  “We have footage of you dancing in the club with him and another young lad,” Simpson added. “You like them young don’t you Mr Phipps?”

  “Who I talk to or dance with has nothing to do with you!”

  “Oh correction it does when one of them is found murdered,” Simpson growled back triumphantly. “And you were seen with him outside the club, arm in arm with him and this other youth heading off into the night! So you’d better start thinking!”

  Five minutes later they left and back inside their car Simpson automatically reached inside his jacket pocket for a cigarette, and had got it to his mouth before Ash spotted him.

  “Oh no you don’t sir, not in the car thanks!”

  “Bollocks!” Simpson cursed abruptly getting back out the car and lighting up, with his door still open. “Find out if this Freddy Grimley is at his abode, and if not see if you can find where he works. I want him to confirm or deny being with Mr bloody Phipps all night after he supposedly left those two boys to go to see him. It’s absolute crap, he’s a lying bastard, see if our boys can find any more CCTV of Phipps, especially around Freddy Grimley’s place, he’s our man.”

  “What are you going to do Gov?”

  “I’m going to have lunch and a think. You can meet me back at the station later.” He got back in the car.

  Ash turned to look at him. “Now what?”

  “Drop me off at the station first, then go see Freddy Grimley, you don’t expect me to walk do you Sergeant?”

  “Wouldn’t do you any harm.” She muttered under her breath glancing down at his stomach.

  “Drive!”

  Chapter Twelve

  Freddy had indeed been at work when Ash called at his house, and as Auburn was also working, there was no reply so she returned to the station.

  It was now approaching 6pm and both she and Simpson were in their car parked just down the road from Freddy’s house awaiting him or somebody, anybody, to return.

  Auburn was the first to show and giving her a minute to get inside they decided to see if she knew Freddy, and were relieved to discover she was living in his flat.

  Auburn doing her usual, opened the front door wide and asked them in, even before Ash insisted on showing her, her warrant card.

  She took them into the living room and after an initial series of questions, to which she replied monosyllabically, Ash reiterated. “So you’re Jennifer Grimley, and you live here with Freddy, is that correct, just the two of you?”

  Auburn had found a spot on the wall straight ahead of her and focused on that rather than have to look at the two police officers. “No not like that silly, he’s my cousin, ooh no... anyway he’s queer in a gay sort of way you know!”

  “Have you got any idea when he’ll be home?” Simpson asked. He was feeling irritable and wondered if he dare light up in here, he needed a cigarette desperately as he had been stuck in that car for an age.

  “Yes he will be coming through that door at 6.40 but...” she stopped midsentence as if in thought before continuing. “I don’t know what the time is now,” She shrugged her shoulders. “I’m not very good with the concept of time, so my sister always says. But I’m never late, usually the reverse, which also seems to annoy others, I don’t understand why, but I don’t understand an awful lot.”

  Simpson glanced across at Ash and frowned before turning back to Auburn. “Your sister?” He began, but at that precise moment, they heard the front door opening, and Freddy called out in his best Californian drawl.

  “Hey honey I’m home!”

  “It’s 6.40 I bet!” Auburn giggled.

  Simpson nodded at Ash who stood up and walked over to the living room door.

  “Hello Mr Grimley,” she called out. “We’re in your living room. Could you please join us?”

  Freddy walked in and grinned. “I say, is it party time?”

  Ash produced her warrant card once more and introduced herself and her boss.

  Simpson began the proceedings. “I gather you know a Mr Tomas Phipps, is that correct?”

  Freddy stole a glace over at Auburn but she was still staring at the wall. “Yup, he’s a friend of a friend, why?”

  “I see,” Ash commented. “And were you with him on the night of the 24th?”

  Freddy nodded.

  “We have to ask, were you with him all night?”

  Freddy nodded again.

  “All night, can you elaborate please in detail?” Simpson asked, hoping it would not be in too much detail. He hated these shirt lifters as he openly referred to Gay people, in his typical non-PC way.

  “If you mean did we sleep together, oh yes all night cuddled up in each other’s arms; some night I can tell you, though don’t expect you’d like to know would you Mr Simpson! I can give you chapter and verse if you like?”

  “No thanks, and it’s Inspector.”

  He nodded at his sergeant. “Ok I think that does it for now, thank you, we’ll see ourselves out.”

  As soon as she heard the front door close Auburn sprang back into life.

  “You were out, but when I got back you were in bed alone, I checked so why are you lying Freddy, why?” The words tumbled out. “And why say you’re with that awful man, you know I hate him?”

  Freddy got up and walked towards the door, where he hesitated. “Don’t get involved Aub, you don’t understand all of it.”

  As he went out into the hallway, she called after him. “But I do, you lied, you shouldn’t lie, why did you lie, why won’t you tell me?”

  Freddy walked back in. “I had to, so please just leave it will you!”

  He turned and marched off to his bedroom before she could reply, and she heard the door slam shut; but he had lied to the police, that wasn’t right, you always had to tell the truth.

  As they drove back to the police station, Ash couldn’t resist having a jibe at her boss.

  “You just about held it together in there, you really hate gays don’t you?”

  “Oh did it show, I thought I behaved well considering, ahh I don’t want to think about it, makes my skin crawl, yes I hate them, and to hell with all this being PC. In fact sod gays, there’re bloody homosexuals.”

  “Spoken like a true homophobe Guv. We all have a right to live in peace you know.”

  “I should have been a cop in the 70s or 80s, they knew how to beat a good confession out of a suspect, those were the days!”

  Ash laughed, “Yeah you’d have loved to have been Gene Hunt, wouldn’t you Gov?”

  Simpson nodded back enthusiastically. “Got the DVD box set of Life On Mars, bloody fantastic! You want to borrow it, do you good to see real policing in action!”

  “No thanks, what do I need TV for,” Ash muttered under her breath, “I’ve got the real thing here!”

  Simpson grinned.

  She didn’t really mean it, he was a great detective, honest and a hard grafter, this show of male machismo was typical of him. He had taught her so much in the time she had been with him, and she was in turn extremely protective of him. His best quality was allowing her to get on with her job, and she wa
s appreciative of that. So she put up with his non-PC ways and constant stops for a cigarette or yet another stodgy takeaway knowing that she was learning from a master. One day she would, and soon hopefully, take her Inspector’s exams with his blessing.

  While she was thinking about her career prospects, he was just thinking how the police of old got the respect they deserved, it certainly didn’t happen nowadays with all this human rights crap.

  She was confused and upset and didn’t even feel like eating supper, so instead she watched TV for a while and waited see if Freddy would re-emerge and explain why he had lied, this wasn’t like him and it was annoying her.

  He failed to come out of his room, and by about 9’oclock Auburn’s tummy had taken over and was rumbling so loudly she could hardly hear the TV. With a long sigh she padded into the kitchen and after staring inside the fridge for an age, plumbed for cold chicken, the remnants of a former dinner, together with a tin of unheated baked beans, a couple of tomatoes, and a thick slice of white bread.

  Freddy was on the early shift at Fat Face the following day finishing at lunchtime. He was just exiting the shop when he heard Tom shouting out to him from across the road, making him start.

  “Hey soldier how’s it going? You got free time for me, thought I’d pick you up, buy you a fab lunch, and take you shopping. How’s that grab you Freddy-boy?”

  Freddy unsmiling looked across at Tom who had crossed the road was now walking beside him. “You don’t have to bribe me Tom, I’m safe, did as you said.” He muttered nervously.

  “Hey my man!” Tom replied putting his arm around Freddy’s shoulder and giving him a squeeze. “Nothing like that Sport, I really just wanted to see you. Come on lunch can’t hurt, eh... eh, just lunch?”

  Freddy’s face softened a fraction and Tom gave him a peck on his cheek and still with his arm around him, marched him off.

  Over lunch, burger and chips, in one of the many bar/restaurants in the centre of town, Tom chatted incessantly about nothing in particular but often humorously. By the end of their meal it had done the trick, Freddy was again won over and felt relaxed in his company. It hadn’t been much of a battle for Tom to win, he was only too aware of his ability to charm, as they say, the pants off anybody he so chose.