Someone Else's Conflict

by Alison Layland

  ‘You’re joking!’

  ‘I mean it, Pol.’

  She stared at the road ahead. ‘Hasn’t it gone far enough? Can’t we just let the police deal with it?’

  ‘I’m not saying we shouldn’t, but…say we give him a break, talk to him first. If we decide to believe him. Lucy’s going to call the cops straight away, I know. He might want to stay at Barton Mill, but if he doesn’t… Just so he knows—’

  ‘He can trust you.’ She sighed. ‘He’d better do a damn good job of convincing me he hasn’t told those thugs where I live. Let’s see what we find. I’m not promising anything.’

  As they pulled into the car park, Jay paused before opening the car door.

  ‘Are you sure about this, love? On second thoughts, you could always just drop me off. Come and collect me…us…’ He shrugged. ‘I don’t want you following me into trouble.’

  ‘Don’t patronise me, Spinney.’

  He grinned. ‘It’s for your own good, you know.’

  The tension in the car eased a little as she smiled back. ‘Shut up, let’s go.’

  As they made their way up to Matt and Lucy’s shop they heard signs of life in the two other ground-floor units. There was a handwritten sign on the first-floor door.

  Temporarily closed. Back by 11. Sorry for any inconvenience. L

  ‘They must be up at the flat,’ Polly said.

  Jay nodded and followed her up the stairs. Like the floor below, there was only one door. She knocked and they heard indistinct sounds inside. He glanced at Polly and she took his hand as they waited. He squeezed it briefly and she knocked again. He thought he heard footsteps. No one answered. After a third try he raised an eyebrow; she looked worried but nodded and he tried the door, with mixed feelings when it gave.

  ‘Let me go first,’ he whispered.

  As he pushed the door open slowly he heard a crash from a room to his left. The world seemed unnaturally bright and clear and he could hear his heart thumping in his ears. He gestured to Polly to wait by the door and stepped in. The boy from Paševina was standing by a window directly across the room, and Jay’s heart skipped a beat as he saw it was wide open.

  ‘Who’s there?’ he called in the direction of the noise he’d heard. There was a scuffle and he called again. ‘Lucy? Vinko?’

  The door of what looked like the bathroom was ajar and he heard footsteps. He wished he had something to defend himself with. Vinko appeared in the doorway clutching a flick knife. Jay grabbed a carved soapstone figure from the coffee table and looked back at Vinko, shocked by what he saw. There were dark shadows round his eyes and his hands were bandaged. One of the bandages had come loose and was trailing from his wrist. The lad’s eyes looked wild.

  ‘It…it’s all right,’ Vinko said, looking past him to Polly. ‘I knock things over being…you know…clumsy. I’m sorry to hide. Lucy said you’re coming. But you scared me.’

  Jay nodded. ‘You scared us too. She phoned and told us what you’d said.’

  His voice sounded more suspicious than he’d intended and he felt bad about it. They stared at each other.

  ‘It’s true that I tell her. You believe me, please, Jay?’

  Jay nodded, giving Vinko a brief smile as he realised he did. ‘So where is she now – Lucy?’

  Vinko frowned. ‘The shop. She left so I can rest, she would phone you without to disturb me. She knows I’m OK and—’

  ‘She’s not there.’ Jay swallowed, glanced at Polly.

  Vinko shrugged. ‘She said when there are no customers she will go to pharmacy to buy painkillers and…?’ He paused, ran a hand over the bandage on his arm.

  ‘Antiseptic?’

  He nodded. ‘Things like them. I think she will return here soon.’

  Jay breathed a little more easily before giving Vinko a pointed look.

  ‘Please will you put that down?’

  Vinko glanced at the knife as if he’d forgotten he was grasping it, folded it and tucked it into the pocket of a pair of jeans that sagged baggily beneath an ill-fitting sweatshirt. Jay followed the movement with his eyes, unable to mask his disapproval.

  ‘How do you come to have that thing?’

  ‘I always have it. I taked it back for myself when I escaped yesterday night – this morning. I thought the knocking was someone else. It is…in the case of trouble.’ He looked at the ornament in Jay’s hand. ‘But you, Jay. You put that down also. No stealing, yes?’

  He grinned suddenly and before Jay knew it the lad was clutching him in a bear hug like his only friend in a hostile world.

  ‘I took my phone back, too, and tried to call you. You didn’t answer.’ The familiarity caused him to slip back into Croatian. ‘This was the only place I could think of to look for you. I’m sorry if I’ve caused any trouble.’

  Jay muttered awkward words of reassurance, but Vinko pulled away.

  ‘No. I mustn’t be weak. I was weak yesterday, I was weak earlier when Lucy told me, “You must rest, Vinko, you’re safe now.” She must have been crazy to think I could sleep, but I was crazier because I did sleep.’ He shook his head in disgust. ‘I should have been alert, I shouldn’t have slept. I was drowsy and confused when you—’

  ‘Why don’t you sit down?’ They both looked round to where Polly was still waiting by the door, though she’d shut it behind her. She waved to the sofa where a crumpled blanket suggested Vinko had been sleeping. ‘I don’t know what you’ve been saying but you look done in. Sit down before you go any further.’

  Vinko obeyed. She went over to the wide-open window, turned and gave him a questioning look.

  ‘When I heard the knocking I think of the way to escape,’ he said.

  She leaned out, shook her head and closed the window.

  ‘Jay, don’t you think—’

  ‘Let’s give it a minute. Please, love?’ He turned to Vinko, trying to smile. ‘Vinko, this is Marilyn. Marilyn – Vinko.’

  ‘I am pleased for knowing you,’ he said. ‘I think you hear bad things about me, but—’

  ‘Don’t worry about that.’

  ‘Thank you. You sit down also, please.’

  She smiled and sat on the other sofa. Jay positioned himself beside her, a protective arm around her.

  ‘Who are they?’ he asked.

  ‘My uncle, Mihal Novak—’ He looked away. ‘I’m sorry, Jay. I really did tell him…when we were together. I say to him I don’t want to… I must – I should…’

  ‘Don’t worry about me,’ Polly said. ‘Speak whatever language you like. Jay can explain to me.’

  Vinko flashed her a grateful smile before turning back to Jay.‘I should have told you when you asked. I couldn’t. I like you, how could I? He was asking all the time about my grandparents’ money. I did want to meet them, honestly I did, for myself, but he kept on asking me to find out more. And,’ he looked away, ‘he wanted me to find you. And it was all for…for someone else.’

  ‘Who?’

  Vinko stared at the carpet. ‘Lek.’

  ‘Lek?’ Jay felt the world drop away from him as he stared at Vinko in disbelief. The boy from Paševina was leaning insolently against the wall behind him, with an expression that said, ‘It’s your turn now.’ ‘I thought Lek was in prison.’

  He looked at Polly to steady himself. Vinko followed his gaze.

  ‘I’m sorry, he will tell you soon,’ he said to her and turned back to Jay. ‘He was. War crimes.’

  ‘I heard,’ said Jay. ‘I confess I celebrated.’

  ‘But he’s out now. He said he managed to get his sentence reduced. So he says now he needs his money. It’s his and he wants it for his retirement. He also said he thought you had a part in putting him away.’

  Jay shook his head. ‘I was never called as a witness. I suppose no one found me.’

  ‘Well he thinks you did and he wants to see you. I didn’t know anything about that when I went with Novak. Yesterday…yesterday morning I lost my job. Because we’d been away. I tri
ed and tried to call you, Jay and I’m sorry, but I was convinced you didn’t care. I’m not asking you to understand. But that’s how it was. So Novak saw me and he told me Lek was a good friend of my dad’s. They’d be good to me. I should have realised. I knew you didn’t like that man.’ He held up his bandaged hands. ‘When Novak took me to that house, I knew he wasn’t my dad’s friend either.’

  Jay was shaking his head. He was shocked at the betrayal but Vinko’s obvious regret made him suppress it; he could deal with that later. He felt hardly able to force words out. ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t get your calls till later,’ he said lamely.

  Vinko turned to him, agitated. ‘I didn’t want to say what I did to you yesterday. I couldn’t stand the things they were doing to me anymore; they made me tell them everything I know about you. I had to.’ He looked away. ‘I hoped you wouldn’t believe I meant it. I tried to send you a message but they grabbed my phone. I tried.’

  ‘I know you did. I’m sorry. I worked it out, but it was too late by then. I went to your house but you weren’t there. All I could do was wait till tonight.’

  Vinko shuddered. ‘I’m glad that’s not happening.’

  ‘Where are they now? How did you get here?’

  ‘I don’t know where they are. They told me yesterday evening they were off on some business. They were going to come back to that house this afternoon, to take me to my flat to meet you. They left me locked in a cupboard, but it was below the stairs and I smelled where the wood was rotten. I managed to break through.’ His fingers found the trailing bandage and he wound it absently back round his hand. ‘It took ages, and I was making such a noise. I was scared they were still there, tricking me, ready to beat me for escaping. But there was no one waiting. So I believe they really won’t be back till this afternoon.’ He glanced at Polly. ‘You want to tell her?’

  Jay hurriedly explained.

  ‘Are you all right now?’ she asked.

  ‘Tired.’ Vinko shrugged. ‘Lucy cared after me. She helped with burns, she gave me food, she borrowed me dry clothes from her boyfriend. I will be OK.’

  ‘She’ll probably be back by now,’ Jay said. ‘We ought to go and tell her we’re here. Take you home.’ He glanced from Vinko to Polly. She frowned but nodded. ‘We were thinking you could come back with us for a little while. Lucy can call the police here and—’ He held a hand up to silence Vinko’s protest. ‘We can talk about it on the way. Come on.’

  He made for the door, beckoning them to follow. The sign was still on the locked door of the shop.

  ‘Do you know if there’s a spare key at the flat, Polly? It’d be best if we wait for her here.’

  ‘You have the credit card?’ asked Vinko.

  Jay swallowed his objection and handed him his card. He watched with grudging admiration as the lad forced the lock within seconds, and raised his eyebrows at Polly.

  ‘There’s a deadlock on the outside door to the building,’ she said apologetically.

  ‘First job for young Matt when all this is over – security review.’

  They laughed nervously and he thought how they really shouldn’t be laughing at a time like this. As they made their way towards the back of the shop, Vinko bent to pick up a pair of scissors lying with some scattered papers on the floor.

  ‘Don’t!’ Jay’s command halted him. ‘Best not touch anything.’

  Vinko stepped back. ‘Lucy held that when she was feared of me.’

  Jay nodded, trying to suppress the panic that threatened to engulf him. This shop felt like a scene from a dream. Despite the presence of Polly and Vinko, he felt alone.

  No you’re not. The boy sat on the counter, casually swinging his legs as he watched them. Jay was about to reach out and touch Polly for reassurance, when a knock at the door made him jump.

  ‘Lucy?’ A man’s voice came through the thick wood.

  ‘It’s Paul from downstairs,’ Polly said quietly.

  Vinko had vanished into the storeroom by the time she opened the door to a tall man in an Aran sweater. ‘Marilyn? What’re you doing here? I heard footsteps on the stairs and assumed Lucy was back. D’you know where she’s gone?’

  She shrugged. ‘She had to pop out to the shops. We happened to call round and I said we’d keep an eye on things till she gets back. Matt’s gone to check out some woodcarving guy.’

  ‘Uh huh, I saw him earlier.’

  ‘I was just about to open up for them. This is my new boyfriend,’ she added, indicating Jay.

  Paul flashed Jay a look, nodded. ‘Hi.’ He turned back to Polly. ‘I just came to see if your phone’s working? Ours isn’t getting a dial tone. Nada. Zilch.’

  Jay was standing nearest to the phone and hoped the guy couldn’t hear his heart thumping as he picked it up. It yielded a heavy silence. ‘Yeah, this one too.’ His voice sounded as if the dead phone had swallowed it.

  Paul nodded. ‘I’ll look into it. Keep you posted.’ He turned to go. ‘Shall I leave the door open, then?’

  Jay was relieved when Polly closed the door behind him, muttering something about a moment to familiarise herself as she hadn’t been in charge there for a while.

  ‘You’d best phone the police on your mobile,’ Jay said as Vinko emerged from the storeroom.

  ‘The door to outside stairs, it’s not proper shut. I saw Lucy lock it when I was here before. Someone—’

  He was interrupted by a ring tone. Jay watched him take his mobile from his pocket and listen. The little colour there was drained from Vinko’s face.

  ‘It’s Lek,’ he whispered, holding the phone out like a hand grenade with the pin pulled. ‘He will talk with you.’

  Jay took it, feeling the faint warmth left by Vinko’s hand on the cold metal casing.

  ‘Hello, Šojka Stranac.’

  The distantly remembered voice added to the unreality of it all. Jay found it easy to pretend this was someone else’s story, and that helped to keep his voice steady.

  ‘Lek.’

  ‘You don’t sound enough friendly, Šojka. Young Ivan’s boy, he thinks you don’t want knowing your old friend. You must tell him he is wrong.’

  ‘What do you want?’

  He was glad Lek couldn’t see him, fingers fiddling restlessly with the ends of his scarf and betraying his nerves.

  ‘I think we should talk, my friend. See, I even speak your language now. We could have lessons…where I’ve been. I think you know. English is good for business, they say. And good for talking with people like you. You will help me, yes?’

  ‘Just say what it is you want.’

  ‘Vinko didn’t already tell you? I want you to help me have my wife’s money back.’

  So he had married her. It meant nothing and it was someone else’s story now. Jay glanced at Polly. Even with her worried expression he drew strength from her presence. ‘I don’t know what you expect me to do.’

  ‘Don’t play the games, Šojka. I had the long talk with Ivan’s boy, you know? You stole my wife’s money.’

  ‘I stole nothing. She instructed me to look after it.’

  ‘You say look after, I say stole. The important thing is, now you give it back.’

  ‘I’ve already given it back.’

  ‘To the wrong ones.’

  ‘To Zora’s family. She told me that if she died it was my decision what to do with it.’

  ‘She told me before she sadly died to find you and have it back.’

  ‘Even if I believed you, it’s no longer mine to give.’

  ‘You can find and give it. You must persuade Vesna.’

  ‘What makes you think I know—’

  ‘No games I said, Šojka! We know you are the family’s friend. If you don’t talk with her already, you can yet. Mihal, he can tell you where. You like to talk to the other man’s wife, don’t you, eh? But enough talking now. Go to the bank and you meet us soon. You bring enough of money to show me you will help, and we talk.’

  Jay glanced from Polly to Vinko. ‘Whe
re will I find you?’

  ‘You phone me after the bank, then I tell you. It is not far. We will have meeting-together soon, my friend. I will enjoy it. And Šojka? You come alone. Not with no one, not even with Ivan’s little coward-son. We know you are at Bartonmill. We can see this and we will see if you bring someone.’ Jay was just registering the fact that Lek was close enough to have seen them arrive, when he spoke again, ‘And you come with no weapon. We have someone here who wants you to obey my asking.’

  He heard shuffling and a woman’s voice gasping indistinctly.

  ‘For fuck’s sake, Lek, don’t—’

  ‘Not yet I don’t. Not when you do that I say. But why are you worried, Šojka? She says she is not your woman. Perhaps because you don’t look after her good enough.’

  Jay spoke over the unpleasant laughter. ‘There’s a bank on the square. I’ll call you in a few minutes. Don’t lay a fucking finger on her.’

  He snapped the phone off and took a deep breath, trying to imagine the flow of air smoothing out the knot in the pit of his stomach. He still felt a dreamlike unreality as he gave Polly and Vinko a rapid account of what Lek had said.

  ‘So, Vinko, can I borrow this?’ He tapped the phone.

  ‘Surely you’re not going?’ Polly said.

  ‘Of course I am!’ He brushed aside her obvious fear before it could infect him. ‘Were you listening to a bloody word I said?’ Her shocked expression made him realise how he’d sounded. ‘I’m sorry, Polly love, this is stressing me out.’ He tried to sound as apologetic as he felt. ‘I’ve got to go; that girl’s in serious danger.’

  ‘But what are you going to do? Surely—’

  ‘I’ll think of something.’ He slammed his hand down impatiently on the counter. ‘I’ll try and call you when I know where they are, but I’ve got to be careful. I might try and leave a sign.’ He fingered his scarf and Polly nodded. ‘If you don’t hear from me in ten minutes, call the police anyway.’

  He passed Vinko his phone back and shuffled impatiently as Vinko saved Lek’s and Polly’s numbers on it. He forced himself to take rather than snatch it from him as he began to enter the relevant numbers on Polly’s.

  ‘You can’t be so stupid! I’m calling the police now,’ she insisted as Vinko handed her phone back.