Games Lovers Play

by June Tate

  Sam and his boys were working on a car that was to be driven in the next twenty-four-hour race at Le Mans. It was the most important job he’d been given, and he was thrilled. The driver was internationally famous, and Sam knew if the man did well in the race, he’d be made. He had another month to complete the engine he’d built especially for the vehicle.

  It was during this time that there was a riot at the prison. Prisoners had taken over a block inside and were holding several warders as hostages, and it was rumoured that a couple of prisoners had escaped. The papers were full of it, as was the radio and television.

  RIOTS AT LEWES PRISON. WARDERS HELD AS HOSTAGES. Those were the headlines in the local paper.

  Inside the prison it was mayhem. Guns were issued to the prison warders, who donned padded body armour in readiness. The governor was giving his orders, but the prisoners were relentless, threatening to kill the warders if anyone tried to enter the block. They had demands – better food and more time with their families on visiting days were but a few of them.

  Fires were started in some of the cells, furniture was broken. Beds were overturned and bedding shredded.

  During this time Jake Barton and another prisoner had taken the keys off one of the warders and made their way to another room, where they managed to climb through a shaft which eventually led them on to a roof overlooking the entrance to the prison. It was getting dark, and below them was a large van which had brought in clean linen. The driver and his mate had unloaded the van and were inside the office, where they were told to drive out whilst they could do so safely.

  Jake felt this was his only chance, and he jumped on to the top of the van just before the two men walked out and climbed into the vehicle. The other prisoner was too late to do so. He saw Jake lying flat on the roof, hanging on to a bar which ran either side of the roof as the van drove out of the gates to freedom.

  Twenty-Four

  In the gathering dusk, Jake clung on to the bars as he lay on the roof of the van, keeping flat so as not to be seen. The vehicle eventually pulled into the yard of the laundry, turned and parked up against a wall. It was quiet as by now the occupants of the main building had finished work for the day. The two men climbed out of the vehicle, locked it and walked out of the main gate. Barton was alone.

  He quietly sat up, flexing his fingers, which were stiff, having gripped the rail hard during the journey. Barton looked around. The laundry was in darkness. Other delivery vans were parked alongside his. To the left was a small building, also in darkness. Barton climbed down and stretched. He was free! He was bloody well free!

  He walked over to the smaller building and peered through the window. He could just make out several brown overalls hanging up against one wall. He wanted one to cover his prison uniform before he dare walk on to the street. He tried the door but it was locked. He walked to the side and saw a window, which was closed. His eyes narrowed as he collected his thoughts. Then he peered round the building looking at the street for passers-by, but everything was quiet. Removing one shoe, he smashed the window and waited. There wasn’t a sound to be heard. He removed the broken glass from the frame and hoisted himself over the sill. Once inside, he took out his lighter, flicked back the top and lit it. Then he found an overall that fitted and put it on.

  He rummaged around the place, pocketing various things he thought might be of use and happened upon a piece of equipment that was just what he needed for the plan he had in mind. Then, climbing back out of the window, he walked out of the gate.

  Sam and Connie were dining at their favourite restaurant at the Cowherds Inn. Sam was telling her how pleased he was with his work in progress.

  ‘The engine is so sweet,’ he said. ‘She seems to purr when you start her up.’

  ‘Her?’ Connie chuckled. ‘It’s a she? The way you talk about her makes me quite jealous!’

  He was highly amused. ‘And so you should be! She does whatever I want. She purrs when I switch her on, and when I press my foot on the accelerator she roars into life, which excites me. I love the sound of her voice.’

  ‘But she can’t do the things that I can to excite you, darling. And … you can’t cuddle up to her in bed, feel her warm body against yours!’

  Laughing, he said, ‘There you do have a point.’ He reached across the table and took her hand. ‘Things are going really well now, sweetheart. Business is brisk, our future is now secure. I think it’s time for us to make our own plans.’

  Her breath caught in her throat. ‘What are you saying, Sam?’

  ‘I’m saying, will you marry me?’

  How long she had waited to hear these words, yet when she did, she was taken aback. ‘Marriage?’

  ‘Yes, you silly woman. Marriage.’ He grinned broadly at her. ‘Unless you just want us to live together … in sin, as your grandmother would put it.’

  ‘I’d rather not,’ she said quickly. ‘You have no idea the comments I get about that. It would be worth getting married just to shut her up.’

  ‘I was hoping you’d say yes because you loved me and couldn’t live without me!’ But his mouth twitched at the corners as he spoke.

  ‘I do want to marry you, Sam Knight, and it is because I love you and can’t live without you.’

  ‘That’s a yes then?’

  ‘Most definitely!’

  He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. ‘That’s wonderful. Tomorrow we’ll go and buy you a ring, then you can flash that in front of Madge’s eyes. Now let’s have a glass of champagne to celebrate.’

  Later, as they left the restaurant, Sam said, ‘If you don’t mind I want to call into the garage. I left some papers there which I need for the morning to take to the bank. Do you mind? It won’t take a minute.’

  ‘No, of course not.’

  They climbed into the car and drove away.

  When they arrived at their destination, Sam said, ‘You stay there, I won’t be long.’

  Connie didn’t object. She wanted to be alone to digest the fact that she was now officially engaged to the man she adored – and had so nearly lost.

  Sam took out his keys to the garage as he walked up to the door. He went to unlock the padlock when he noticed the chain which held the doors together with the lock had been cut. Putting the keys into his pocket, he opened the door slowly and quietly. He was shocked at the scene before him as he crept inside.

  Jake Barton was holding a can of petrol and pouring the contents over the racing car that Sam had been working on, unaware that in his frenzy he was splashing the fuel on himself too. Sam realized the danger they were in.

  ‘What the bloody hell do you think you’re doing, Barton?’

  Jake, shaken by the sudden voice, stopped and turned.

  When he saw Sam standing there, he put down the can, took his lighter out of his pocket, flicked the top back and, lighting it, held it high.

  ‘Don’t come any closer, you bastard!’ His laugh had the sound of hysteria in it.

  ‘Don’t be a fool!’ said Sam, quietly. ‘You’ll blow us both to kingdom come.’

  ‘What do I care, Knight? No way am I going to stay locked up for another two years in that hellhole! You have no idea what it’s like. There’s no way I’m going back inside, so I’ve come to settle a score.’

  ‘I wasn’t aware we had anything to settle,’ said Sam, trying to calm him.

  Jake glared at him with unconcealed hatred. ‘You have been a thorn in my side ever since you started racing. But for you I too could have made a name for myself, been the local hero, but no, it was always you. I am a better driver than you any day.’

  ‘You might be right,’ said Sam. ‘If you had concentrated on the race instead of me, you might have been the one to stand on the podium with the trophy. But you were full of hate and spite.’ He paused. ‘It could have been so different, Barton. We could have been friends.’

  ‘Ha! Never! Now you’re set to make a mint and I’m here to stop you. Once this car is destroyed no one w
ill give you the time of day. If you can’t keep their precious vehicles safe, they won’t want to trust you again.’

  Outside, Connie was getting restless. What on earth was keeping Sam? He’d said he would only be a minute. She got out of the car. As she walked to the door she heard voices and frowned. As she was about to walk in, she heard the voice of Jake Barton threatening Sam. She pushed the door open and when she saw what was happening and realized the danger her Sam was in she screamed.

  Taken by surprise, Jake’s attention was distracted, and Sam took advantage of it. Leaping forward he grabbed Barton by his clothes and drew him away from the car, throwing him towards the door. The lighter fell from Barton’s fingers on to his petrol soaked clothes, which ignited. He screamed as the flames touched his flesh.

  Sam dived for the fire extinguisher that was by the door and covered the blazing figure with foam.

  ‘Ring for an ambulance and the police!’ he yelled to Connie.

  She was so shocked she just stared at him.

  ‘Now!’

  It was enough to get her moving and she ran towards the phone.

  Sam then sprayed the car and surround with foam just in case it too caught fire, and then he turned his attention to Jake Barton. As he knelt beside him, he was appalled at the sight. Barton’s face was blistered, his hands burnt, his clothes scorched to ashes, showing the injured flesh beneath. Quietly Sam said, ‘You bloody fool, Jake.’

  The ambulance arrived within minutes. ‘Jesus!’ exclaimed the driver when he saw Barton. ‘What happened here?’

  Sam quickly explained as they gingerly lifted Jake, who was moaning in pain, on to a stretcher. They then rushed him to the hospital.

  Connie was trembling as Sam held her. ‘It’s all right, darling.’

  ‘Oh Sam, I thought he was going to set the garage alight. I thought I was going to lose you.’ She burst into tears just as the police arrived.

  When Sam explained what had happened, he was asked how Barton could have gained entry, but as they searched the premises they discovered a pair of steel cutters.

  ‘God knows where he found these,’ Sam remarked. ‘They aren’t mine.’

  They drove to the police station so that Sam and Connie could make statements. When he’d finished, Sam asked the officer if there had been any news from the hospital.

  ‘No, sir, not yet. We’ll let you know if we hear. Now I suggest you take the young lady home, she’s still in shock.’

  Once they were inside the flat, Sam made Connie a cup of tea with sugar and brandy in it, then, sitting beside her on the settee, he insisted she drank it. He kept an arm around her and a blanket over her knees, as she still was trembling.

  As she sipped her tea, Sam talked to her. ‘Well, that was quite a night. First I propose to my girl and then nearly lose everything!’

  ‘Why does that man hate you so?’

  ‘I really have no idea. When we began racing against each other, I won the first two races. After that Jake saw me as his rival, but he couldn’t stand being beaten, especially by me. There’s no rhyme or reason to it, sadly.’

  ‘Do you think he’ll recover?’ She was almost afraid to ask.

  Sam shook his head. ‘I really don’t know, he was so very badly burnt. If he recovers he’ll have to endure many operations, and skin grafting, like they did with the airmen in the war. It doesn’t bear thinking about.’ He paused. ‘There was a sort of madness about him tonight. He said he couldn’t go back to prison, said it was a hellhole. The whole thing could have been avoided, that’s the saddest thing of all. Three men with ruined lives, all for money.’

  At that moment the telephone rang and Sam got up to answer it. ‘Yes, speaking.’ He listened, then said, ‘Thank you for letting me know.’

  He walked back to Connie, sat down and held her. ‘That was the police. Jake Barton just passed away. I can’t help thinking that in his case it was for the best; he was so badly injured. There will be an inquest later, of course.’

  She looked at him with apprehension. ‘Will we have to go?’

  ‘I’m afraid so. We’ll have to give evidence so that they can deliver a verdict.’ He looked at Connie. ‘Come on, darling, let’s go to bed. I don’t know about you but I’m worn out, physically and mentally.’

  The following morning, Tom and Harry arrived to work as usual only to find Sam cleaning the car. The smell of petrol filled the air.

  ‘What the hell is going on?’ asked Tom.

  The two men were shocked when Sam relayed the events of the previous night.

  ‘Bloody hell!’ Harry exclaimed. ‘You were lucky, mate. The whole place could have blown up!’

  ‘Jake Barton wasn’t so lucky. He died last night.’

  The men were shocked at the news. ‘What an idiot,’ said Tom. ‘He wasted his talent, all for nothing. Still, I’m sorry to hear he died in such a way.’

  ‘Me too,’ Sam agreed. ‘However, we still have a business to run, so let’s get on with it.’

  Two weeks later, the inquest took place. Both Sam and Connie gave their evidence and a verdict of ‘death by misadventure’ was brought in. They both left the court with a feeling of sadness. It had been an ordeal for all concerned.

  Meantime the prison riot had been quelled; the other missing prisoner had given himself up, having lost the opportunity to escape. But the gossip inside for days to follow was of Jake Barton’s horrific death. It cast a feeling of gloom around the prison.

  In mid August the wedding of Connie and Sam took place at St Mark’s Church. It was a beautiful day and there were crowds gathered watching, mainly fans of the popular driver. The press were out in force, light bulbs flashing as the groom arrived with his two best men. Tom and Harry had both insisted on the role!

  Both families took their place in church. Madge resplendent in lilac and smiling and posing for the cameras. Enjoying the fact that her granddaughter was marrying someone so famous in her home town.

  There were cheers when Connie arrived with her father. As the car pulled up in front of the church, her proud father, seeing the crowd, asked, ‘Are you ready, love?’

  ‘Oh yes, Dad. This is the happiest day of my life, and I’m going to enjoy every moment!’

  Her friend Betty, her only bridesmaid, dressed in pale pink, was waiting. She grinned broadly at Connie. ‘You look smashing!’ she said.

  Connie’s wedding dress was ivory, her bouquet cream and tea coloured roses, her veil held in place with a jewelled headdress.

  Betty fussed about her, straightening the train until they were ready. And the bridal party entered the church.

  The organ started, the congregation stood and the service began.

  The reception was held at the Polygon Hotel. As Connie stood with her husband, greeting her guests, she thought it ironic that both she and John’s ex-wife had celebrated their new lives at the same place. It didn’t detract from her enjoyment, it seemed fitting in a strange way, and she couldn’t help but think that the games lovers played never quite worked out to plan.

  After the reception, the bride and groom eventually made their way to a room they’d booked to change out of their finery and into clothes fit for travel.

  As Connie slipped out of her wedding dress, Sam drew her into his arms and kissed her.

  ‘Well, Mrs Knight, this has been a lovely day. A good beginning to a great life together. We are going to have so much fun.’

  She gazed into his eyes. ‘I can hardly wait,’ she said.

  Sam nuzzled her neck. ‘You don’t have to; we have time before we have to leave the hotel.’ He picked her up and carried her to the bed.

  As they lay together, Connie said, ‘Let’s get a few things sorted first.’

  He looked surprised. ‘Like what?’

  ‘Just to let you know I expect you to bring me a cup of tea in bed every morning before I get up and cook the breakfast,’ she said, teasing him.

  He started laughing. ‘Trying to lay the law down already, are
you? Well, Mrs Knight, I’m the one who wears the trousers in this marriage!’

  ‘All men think that. You have a lot to learn about women, darling,’ she said, ‘but I’m going to have the time of my life teaching you!’

  But as she gazed into the eyes of her groom, she knew they would both learn from each other in the many years ahead.