by Marcus Alden
‘The next train to arrive at platform 2 is the 1:45 service to London Paddington. Calling at Basingstoke, Reading, and London Paddington,’ the computerised voice said.
‘If we change at Reading we might be able to lose them,’ Dan forced his breathy words out. Sarah nodded. Dan’s stomach felt like it had jumped up into his throat, and a pang of sickness washed over him.
Dan and Sarah filed through the open ticket barrier with the other passengers. They waited for the train doors to unlock. The seconds crept forward as Dan checked back to the staircase for Hawk and Harrier. Sarah stood with her head between her knees to regain her breath. Blank faces stared out of the train at Dan and Sarah’s peculiar behaviour. The bright yellow ring of light that circled the door switch lit up and the train doors swished open. People spilled out of the train. Dan and Sarah crammed into the carriage, but they were held up by a woman with a large suitcase. Passengers filed in behind them so they had no clear view of either platform.
The doors of the overcrowded train swished shut. Dan and Sarah didn’t know whether the thugs had made it onto the train with them or not. They shuffled forward into the aisle only to find there were no spare seats left. People huddled together; their shoulders touched, while some people sat on their luggage in between the carriages. Dan and Sarah looked out across the platform; Sarah saw the stranger that had followed them. Adrian shoved his way forward without a ticket and got stopped by the station staff.
‘Look Dan, that guy was following us. When I turned around he was running behind us too,’ Sarah said as she pointed. The stranger flapped his arms around as he tried to signal to Dan.
‘My five-year-old is alone on that train, you must let me on,’ Adrian said to the platform staff. The staff waved his hand to another colleague further down the platform and the doors re-opened. Adrian was led to the next carriage and the doors slid shut again. The train moved away from the station.
‘The thugs must be here too. That guy was with them,’ Sarah said.
‘It’s too busy to move through the carriages; he can’t get to us and neither can they,’ Dan said. For a brief time, there was peace in the carriage. Surrounded by the closeness of strangers and the security that they couldn’t be chased for that moment, Dan and Sarah relaxed.
‘Do you think we can unravel this all? I mean, is it worth it?’ Dan said.
‘Even if you don’t think it is they do. Whatever they’re hiding it’s important enough to hire those two, set fire to my car, and chase us. I don’t think somehow it’s all just about your granddad’s savings,’ Sarah said.
‘Yeah, I’m sure you’re right, but we need answers and a strategy of how to tackle this. Instead of being chased we should be doing the chasing. What do we have so far? A fake funeral without a body; a £45,000 inheritance from a grandfather that might not even be dead; a fake Constable painting, oh, and not forgetting, the two stooges that want to harm us,’ Dan said.
‘What are they scared of? What is it that they’re hiding and why does it matter so much? If only there was some concrete evidence. We could always go to the police?’ Sarah said with doubt in her voice.
‘What and say we’re being chased by thugs who want to give me my inheritance? No, it wouldn’t work and those thugs would just vanish anyway. We have no proof that Maybury is doing anything illegal. Somehow, I think we’re better on our own,’ Dan said.
‘Yeah true, we do need facts. Where was your grandfather before he supposedly died? Sarah said.
‘Maybury said my grandfather was in a care home. But nothing correlates with the obituary of the only Easton that died around that time. First of all, his name is James, not Charles, and, secondly, that funeral only existed on paper,’ Dan said.
‘So, do you think your grandfather is dead?’ Sarah asked.
‘I’m inclined to think no, but then I can’t think of a reason why Maybury would contact me and go through the charade of signing papers for someone that hadn’t died. What has Maybury got to gain from that?’ Dan said. Sarah listened while she came up with potential scenarios in her head, but she dismissed them all.
‘There are too many puzzle pieces missing, but if your grandfather was in a care home there will be records of his stay. If not, where did he live? Somebody somewhere must have known him. Or if your grandfather isn’t dead where the hell is he now?’ Sarah said.
‘Well I think one thing is certain; he was real. The Records Office links my grandfather’s name with a will from 1954 so he would have been… 24. So, let’s assume his father died and named him as a beneficiary. That places James Easton in Hampshire on official records. What we need now is proof he lived in Hampshire recently. If we get that, then it narrows it down,’ Dan said.
‘Narrows it down to what?’ Sarah asked.
‘Either Maybury has lied about my grandfather dying, or he has covered up his death,’ Dan said.
‘Okay, so what about the inheritance? Is that even real?’ Sarah asked. The train attendant gave a notice over the tannoy that interrupted their conversation, but a faulty speaker clipped the sentences. The garbled message was something about hot drinks and snacks, Sarah thought.
‘I couldn’t possibly have read all the pages they gave me to sign; it was pages and pages. It did seem genuine, as if they were going to give me the money, and I could really do with it. If that lorry crash hadn’t interrupted me then I would have signed the papers—.’ Dan paused as he pieced vague fragments of thought together. ‘I would have already signed the paperwork, I wouldn’t have met you, the thugs wouldn’t be chasing us, and I wouldn’t know anything about my grandfather. Yes, it’s much clearer now!’ Dan said.
‘Is it?’ Sarah said as she looked more confused.
‘I feel so stupid believing what they said. The inheritance is just a smoke screen for something else; something much more important. If only I knew the truth,’ Dan said. He implored his inner self to understand. ‘What about the painting?’ Dan asked.
‘Oh yeah, let’s read this,’ Sarah said. Sarah drew out her mobile with the web page still loaded on it from earlier and read aloud. ‘Touring exhibition of famous fakes reaches Edinburgh’s National Gallery. The collection, which has art historians reeling on both sides of the Atlantic, is set to take Scotland by storm. Already, visitor figures show that the controversial exhibition is creating quite a stir as it makes its way around the UK.’ Sarah carried on, transfixed by the text. ‘Amongst the previously unseen collection are supposed works by Turner, Constable, Rembrandt, and Caravaggio. The pieces, each indistinguishable from their multi-million-pound counterparts, begs questions to be asked about what art is and the value we attribute to it,’ Sarah said.
The train shunted as it slowed down to a stop at Basingstoke. A few of the passengers stirred and fetched their bags from the overhead compartments. Dan and Sarah sat in the empty seats.
‘Check both directions,’ Hawk said as he stood by a carriage door and waited for it to unlock. The thugs stepped down onto the platform and scanned it both ways to see if Dan or Sarah had left the train.
‘Clear,’ Harrier said.
‘Clear. They must be still on here,’ Hawk said. The pair got back on only to find more people stood in the way, so they split up and went in opposite directions. The train gained momentum as it left the station. Sarah stared out of the window and watched the telegraph poles as they whooshed past them. Dan looked over at her; Sarah looked so serene that Dan almost forgot that they were being chased. Sarah turned her head and caught him as he stared at her. Dan jolted his gaze away.
‘What is it?’ Sarah asked.
‘Nothing, I was just—. Do you think this painting will give us any leads?’ Dan tried to deflect the focus away from his social inadequacies.
‘I don’t know to be honest. It’s all we’ve got to go on at the moment, well, that and finding James’ care home records. If we manage to lose the two stooges we can have the space to research. The idea of having them on our heels is not a good pros
pect; it’s hard enough already,’ Sarah said.
‘We might need a disguise; it’s not long now till we get to Reading,’ Dan said. The crammed train buzzed with miscellaneous noises, garbled voices, and the sound of mobile phones. Two businessmen sat opposite the aisle and discussed the format of a new computer program. In front of them, a child banged the window only to be chastised by its mother. The people stood in the aisles lost their footing as the train wobbled about; they grabbed onto the headrests of the nearby seats. Dan and Sarah felt safe; the crowds of bodies obscured any view through the carriages.
Adrian searched for Dan and Sarah, but having only seen them from a distance he was unsure of their faces up close. Adrian checked stranger after stranger, but the more faces he saw the more confused he got. Unknown to him, he had walked in the opposite direction to where Dan and Sarah were.
Dan and Sarah were set on edge when they heard the announcement for Reading; they joined the queue to leave the carriage. As the train slowed down, Dan touched Sarah’s hand.
‘Stay close,’ Dan said. The train stopped and people poured out onto the platform. As Dan and Sarah walked along to the terminal they saw the back of Hawk and Harrier’s heads; they were safe, for now. Dan found the nearest ticket machine and selected the journeys they needed. Dan opened his wallet and sighed. He glanced over his possible options; all were credit cards.
‘We’ll be at Edinburgh by tonight. Though where we’re going to stay and how I can pay for all this is another matter,’ Dan said.
‘Is it really that bad Dan?’ Sarah asked. Dan didn’t reply. ‘At least we’re moving and we’ll be away from those two,’ Sarah said.
Adrian lost sight of everyone in the chaos of all the passengers. Not being able to see the thugs or the couple he panicked. The reporter quickened his pace to the terminal. As the automatic doors opened, Adrian caught sight of Hawk and Harrier as they stared up at the digital timetable. Adrian darted into the café and tucked himself round the other side of a pillar. The café was littered from previous customers; frothy cappuccino rings stained the tables and scrunched up paper bags covered what was left of the surfaces. Adrian peeked round the pillar; the thugs were still there.
‘Dammit, we need to wait half an hour for the Edinburgh train,’ Dan said.
‘If we hide in the ladies’ toilets and leave just as the last announcement is made we should make it ok,’ Sarah said. Dan thought it was a good idea, though he wasn’t keen on loitering in ladies’ toilets.
Hawk and Harrier analysed the information board. Adrian peeked out again, but this time Hawk stared towards the café. Adrian froze and retreated back behind the pillar like a child; Hawk noticed the peculiar movement. He tapped Harrier on the shoulder and walked over. But when they got there Adrian had walked out through a side door. Hawk and Harrier followed him. It was too late; the thugs had seen him. Adrian ran up the steps, but the thugs gained ground quicker than him. Hawk sped up behind Adrian and grabbed his shirt. Hawk dragged Adrian back down the steps and took him into a side alcove on the platform.
‘Move,’ Hawk said as he pushed Adrian towards a grey service door. The windowless room had a single light bulb that flickered and dusty panels of switches. In the corner of the room was a disused mop and bucket propped against the wall. Images of torture, like that of a movie where toothless guerrilla fighters used machetes to slice off fingers, flashed in Adrian’s mind. Though Adrian reminded himself he was in Berkshire, not the rainforest, and there was only so much damage the thugs could do with a mop and bucket.
‘What are you doing following us?’ Hawk spat at him. ‘Sit down,’ Hawk said. He thrust his hands-on Adrian’s shoulders and forced him to the floor. ‘Who are you? Who are you working for?’ Hawk asked. Adrian was speechless; he decided he couldn’t run past the muscular man in front of him and, even if he could, the other one blocked the door. Adrian was trapped in a windowless room and nobody knew where he was. ‘C’mon, what were you doing?’ Hawk asked. Hawk opened the inside of his jacket and revealed a shadowy outline of what look liked a gun. He reached down to Adrian and pulled him up by his shirt. Harrier, who kept lookout, opened the door.
‘Boss, I think it’s them,’ Harrier said. Hawk dropped the reporter, who slumped on the concrete, and then turned on his heel to join Harrier in the pursuit. The thugs sprinted; Dan and Sarah turned to have their worst fear confirmed; they had been seen. Harrier pulled out a pistol from his jacket as they pushed past other travellers.
‘You can’t use that here,’ Hawk said. Dan and Sarah ran across the bridge that linked the platforms. Through the enormous windows Dan and Sarah saw the thugs pound up the stairs after them.
Adrian had no choice but to go after the men who had just threatened him. He turned the corner and saw Dan and Sarah run towards the train on the opposite platform. Separated by two train tracks he could not make it in time. Adrian shouted as loud as he could.
‘Wait!’ The reporter’s voice reached the pair as they climbed the step into the train. Sarah turned; she saw the thugs jump over several treads of the stairs in one go and shove past people. Sarah looked over to where the voice had come from and saw Adrian. Though Sarah didn’t know who he was, or whether he could be trusted, she shouted back.
‘Edinburgh. We’re going to—.’ Sarah’s words got absorbed by indefinable noise.
‘What?’ Adrian shouted over an announcement and put his hands up in the air.
‘Constable; in Edinburgh,’ Sarah said. She projected her voice over the hollow space. Dan yanked Sarah’s jacket back to keep her clear from the train doors as they hissed shut. The thugs got to the doors out of breath as the train prepared to pull away. Hawk slammed his fists against the window and stared at Dan and Sarah like someone possessed. Dan and Sarah stared back. Dan held onto Sarah. It was the first time they had both been able to stare into their pursuers’ eyes. Harrier’s face looked through them with anger. Harrier gestured with his hand and made a slow, deliberate movement by his neck and pretended to cut his throat.
‘You’re dead,’ Harrier said. Dan and Sarah looked back in fear, but they knew they were safe. Hawk turned to Harrier and pushed him at the shoulder. ‘They’re going to Edinburgh. Find out when the next one leaves, I need a smoke,’ Hawk said.
Adrian, who had stayed on the opposite platform, felt a wave of vulnerability come over him as he watched Hawk light up a cigarette. Adrian was on his own, and the thugs knew about him.
‘I need to speak to that couple; just five minutes would be enough,’ Adrian said. Passersby looked at Adrian as he talked to himself.
The Edinburgh train was far quieter than the previous one, Dan thought, so they could move about without restriction. Dan and Sarah walked to the luggage rack where there were several suitcases stacked up. With caution, Sarah started to look through the bags while Dan blocked the aisle view.
Sarah unzipped a large flowery holdall and felt inside. Her fingers touched something cold and sticky. She held onto whatever it was and looked into the bag; she had touched a set of dentures. Sarah thrashed her hand about and let go of them. Sarah continued to search the rest of the bag. In between the clothes were an array of medications, flip flops, and a garish sarong. Sarah found a salacious novel: the kind of book with a bare-chested man on the front and a sunset. Sarah chuckled to herself. It was obvious to her that the bag belonged to an older woman who had just been on holiday. At the bottom of the bag was a baseball cap so Sarah took it. Sarah zipped the bag back up and checked another one from the rack. This time she had found a young guy’s bag; the stuff inside thrown together in no order. Jeans intermixed with mains chargers and headphones. Sarah found a thick maroon hoody and took it out along with a beanie hat. Dan switched from foot to foot nervous that someone would see them, but Sarah searched regardless. Sarah had seen a teenage girl struggle to put a large case into the rack, so she found that case and unzipped the outer shell. Inside, Sarah found a plaid shirt and a pocket guide to Edinburgh, as well as some
hair bands. With guilty consciences, Dan and Sarah took their finds along to the toilet in the next carriage.
The curved electric door slid around and Sarah locked it behind them both. Dan changed into the hoody and put on the beanie hat. Sarah tied her long brown hair back into a ponytail and put the cap on over it. She put the shirt on; it would do as a disguise.
‘Dan, take my jacket will you?’ Sarah asked. He nodded and put her denim jacket in his bag.
‘I’ve never stolen anything,’ Dan said. Sarah looked in the mirror and checked her appearance.
‘What else can we do? Do you want to be seen and have them after us the whole time?’ Sarah said. Dan shook his head, he saw Sarah’s logic.
Dan and Sarah walked through several carriages to avoid bumping into the owners of their stolen clothes. They spread out over the seats of the quiet zone. The long trip to Edinburgh would give them respite from the adrenaline-fuelled day, Dan thought. Dan and Sarah sunk into the chairs with relief.
Chapter 8
Jennifer typed at her desk. The room was quiet and, in the stillness, she could hear the grandfather clock as it chimed downstairs. Maybury’s plan had gone awry and what was needed was damage limitation. Jennifer stared at the screen and searched for ideas. Maybury was in his office, but the thick wooden doors that separated them were open a few inches. Jennifer leaned off her chair to check whether she could be seen from its current angle. She stood up and crept to where her handbag was. Jennifer searched for her mobile and checked over her shoulder to make sure she couldn’t be seen. Ringing someone would be far too risky, Jennifer thought, so she sat back at her desk to compose a text. In her contacts under the letter w was a single entry: Winstanley. Jennifer sent a blank message to the number and within a minute her phone buzzed back with a reply. Jennifer read the words with calm composure, and looked up at Maybury’s doors before she left her chair again. She could leave the desk for a few minutes, Jennifer thought.