by K O'Hanlon
She also had a kind of meals on wheels evening dinner service that covered a ten mile radius. You could order food from her store and she’d cook it and deliver it to you. Extra pennies for cooking and petrol obviously.
The woman really did run a cottage industry and good luck to her. Better that than killing a person for love or money.
James ticked a couple of items on the list. He didn’t actually need either of them urgently but it’ll keep her sweet if it added a bit of cash to her retirement fund. He put his cottage number in the top corner as per the instructions.
A note at the bottom said to place all orders in the box by her front door. The correct coinage would be helpful if possible.
He put his order plus a fiver into the envelope provided.
He knew he wouldn’t get much change from a loaf of bread and a pint of milk. The envelope was self-addressed to Mrs H Highwater cottage number 1. Seeing that made him laugh loud enough to startle Scamp from his sleep. “Sorry boy, if you were human you’d be laughing too. I just need her to say the H stands for Helen and that’ll make my day.”
James wanted to get online and do a few searches. He needed more information about Samuel Fairchild. He would learn as much as he possibly could about the man and his habits, places he visited, people he knew, business contacts that he had, where he went for holidays. He wanted to know it all and then some. To plan the perfect crime he must stay on top of his game. No slip ups, no errors, no killing the wrong person.
If James became too well known in this tiny village he would move on to another place and he would keep moving so nobody would ever find him.
As long as Mrs Hell ‘n Highwater kept her nose out of his business he’d keep his nose out of hers. He guessed she didn’t declare her income to the tax man as she always dealt in cash. He had no idea where she stashed all the money but there must be a pile of it the size of a hay stack somewhere. He hoped she kept her cottage securely locked so nobody could break in and rob her. The last thing he wanted was police and forensics turning up collecting fingerprints and DNA samples.
Chapter Eleven
M ike had invested heavily in his brother to get him up and running with a photographic studio and all that went with it. He really hoped Sam would put one hundred percent into making it work. It wasn’t just cash that Mike invested it was also a great deal of his time.
Toni was starting to get just a bit fed up with Mike’s brother keeping her husband away from home and making his own workload drag out late into the evenings. She hardly saw much of him since their wedding. It seemed more like the ceremony has been a separation instead of the joining of two people in holy matrimony. She had done her good deed as promised and passed Sam’s name to a few of her contacts but they had said they couldn’t get hold of him because his phone was always turned off. Now she was getting somewhat annoyed because it didn’t look good giving out a bad recommendation to people who knew her well in business.
Toni was contemplating what excuse she could offer to not discredit herself at work when she heard Mike’s car pull into the driveway. He obviously wasn’t in the best of moods because he gave his car door a hefty slam. She heard his keys hit the table in the entrance hall as the front door slammed shut vibrating the glass.
“What’s wrong?”
“That fucking brother of mine is a total waste of space!”
“What’s he done now, Mike?”
“He didn’t answer his calls so I dropped by the studio. It looked like nobody was there because his car wasn’t outside. I had a look in anyway, and there he was with his feet up on the desk smoking a joint.”
“Oh no, then what?”
“You don’t want to know what happened next. But when I left I passed his car, parked up a side street. The brand new white BMW that I bought was parked up some shitty side street. It had red paint all over the bonnet. Why the fuck would he park it there when he’s got parking right outside his door?”
“Oh, Mike. My contacts haven’t been able to get hold of him either. He might have blown his chances now and it reflects badly on me too.”
Mike got his mobile phone out and flicked through some photos. “Look at the state of his car. It’s not exactly what you’d call a Banksy is it?”
Mike was livid. He’d pulled a load of strings to get Sam that studio and apartment. He wasn’t really concerned about the money but he’d put a lot of time into it and he was up to his eyeballs doing the work of two partners at his own firm.
He hadn’t wanted to tell Toni the whole story of what had happened at Sam’s studio.
After physically dragging his brother up the stairs to the apartment he was then confronted with the devastation in the lounge. It looked like the room had been turned over during a burglary. Everything was thrown all over the floor. Two dining chairs and a broken lamp looked like they had been thrown against the plasterboard partition. There was a hole halfway up the wall big enough to stick your head through into the bedroom.
Mike had verbally laid into his brother. “What the fuck is wrong with you, Sam?”
Sam was still a bit spaced out from the weed he’d been enjoying before being interrupted by his elder brother. “Nothing wrong with me bro, chill out and slacken off your face.”
“I’ve tried to help you get a business going that could pay well. I’ve given your name to people who would’ve used your skills. Toni had two contacts ready to offer you work but they couldn’t get hold of you and now you’re turning this apartment into a replica of that shit hole you were always so keen to get out of!”
“Ok, ok, you’ve made your point, now piss off and leave me alone.”
Mike caught sight of Sam’s weed stash on the table. He picked it up and took it into the bathroom.
“Hey! What you doing? Leave that, it’s mine!”
“Too bad, I’ve flushed it!”
“What the fuck did you do that for?”
“Sam. Get your head straight! Then turn your phone on and just pray that someone offers you work because I’ve just about had it with you!”
Mike had stormed out then leaving Sam staring across the room at the hole in the wall wondering why someone had put a strange shaped serving hatch from the lounge to the bedroom.
Mike’s temper was just calming down when he passed a turning and thought he spotted Sam’s car. He slammed on the brakes and reversed back then drove towards it. He got a few pictures of it on his phone just to remind himself what a fool he’d been. Sam was unlikely to ever change.
Monday morning dawned with a clear sky as Mike exited through his electric gates and drove to work. He hadn’t got far when his mobile started ringing. A quick glance at the caller id showed it to be Frank Morris, his foreman on a motorway bridge project. Mike touched a button on his car controls and took the call.
“Frank, what’s up?”
“We might have a serious problem, Mike. We’ve hit something really solid about 25 feet down. It’s broken the drill head.”
“But we had samples, deep samples, and nothing showed up in that area.”
“Well something is down there and it’s too hard for the drill.”
“Ok, Frank. Leave it with me, I’m on my way to the office. I’ll look over the plans and maps when I get there.”
“Mike, the locals said something about an ancient site being somewhere in the area and if that’s true we might have just found it.”
“Great! Just what we need, another fucking Stonehenge for the weirdo’s to dance around. I’ll get back to you.”
Just as the call ended he pulled up outside his office building. This wasn’t going to be a good day.
His PA waved a bunch of papers at him as he walked past her. He took them without stopping and continued into his office.
“Something wrong?”
“Yes, Pauline. The world is a shit hole.”
“All of it or just your bit?”
“All of it. Now can you get me two things? I need file 114 on the motorway b
ridge and I need a very strong coffee.”
Mike was engrossed in the file for most of the morning. If it really was another ancient site he knew what would happen next and it wasn’t good. These things could hold a project up for months or even years. If it was of great historic value it could lead to the project being cancelled. He just hoped it would be a large lump of rock and nothing else. Even that would be a huge problem if the drill couldn’t break through it.
He got on the phone to Frank “I’ve been over the plans. I’ve checked everything in and around that whole area and there is nothing anywhere to suggest rock formations of any kind. The only questionable area which stands out is over a mile away and that is said to be the only place where a large structure is mapped underground. Every means of testing was carried out before the plans for this bridge were drawn up.”
“Well, Mike. All I can do is get a replacement drill head and try again but it’ll take a while. What should we do in the meantime? Should we wait or carry on with the northern side?”
“Carry on, we can’t let this hold everything up.”
Pauline walked into Mike’s office with a smile on her face.
Mike ended the call to Frank then scribbled a few notes. “What are you so happy about?”
“Is this a good time to ask for a rise?”
“No, Pauline. This isn’t a good time to ask for anything.”
“Oh and there’s me thinking you’d say yes.”
Mike threw his pen down and looked up.
“How long is it since you had the last rise?”
“Just over a year.”
“Ok, you win, rob me of yet another few thousand.”
“Now you know why I had a smile on my face.”
“Don’t push your luck woman. I can replace you with a robot.”
Pauline laughed and walked out to her desk.
In truth, Mike would be lost without her and would’ve given her more. He sat back in his oversized black leather executive chair and remembered how this attractive fun loving cheeky brunette had ended up being his personal assistant.
She had been a godsend when she left her last employer to work for him and Ben. Once work started flowing into the firm they needed someone who knew the construction business well enough not to need any supervision. Pauline was the best person to fill that position.
Chapter Twelve
P auline Jackson had first met Mike at university. They were of the same age and she too was undergoing a degree course in civil engineering. Mike had fallen head over heels in love with her right from the start. They shared a tiny apartment for two years while they helped each other study. It was after he’d asked for her hand in marriage that she pulled away from him and dropped out of the course. She gave some excuse about family problems, wished him well and just left.
She knew enough about construction engineering to land herself a top job with a major company. Out of the blue one morning she’d had a voicemail message on her mobile.
“Hi, Pauline. It’s me, Mike, Mike Fairchild. Could you please ring me back, it’s urgent.”
It had been a good few years since she’d last seen him. Mike and Ben were now seen as future competition throughout the industry. She had toyed with the idea of just deleting the message but curiosity got the better of her and she called him back.
“Mike, it’s me, Pauline. I got your message. What’s wrong?”
“I want to meet up with you, strictly business, nothing else, I promise.”
“I don’t think that’s a good …”
“Please, just meet me and hear me out, that’s all I ask.”
“Let me think about it and I’ll get back to you.”
Pauline hadn’t seen Mike since dropping out of university. In truth she would like to see the person he’d become. He was starting to make a name for himself now after working for some very impressive construction companies. She remembered whenever he and Ben got together they would plan their future business. It was at those times that she felt like an outsider. There was no part of their plan that might include her as a partner.
Two days passed and she hadn’t phoned. Mike was starting to wish he hadn’t called her. He knew where she worked. He should’ve just waited outside her work place. Surely she couldn’t just ignore him if he was there right in front of her.
He still had the option to try that but when he saw a message appear on his phone he was relieved that he didn’t have to behave like a stalker.
“Mike. I’ll be in The Wine Cellar at mid-day tomorrow. It’s a wine bar near the church in the High Street, just around the corner from my office. I’ll only have an hour so if you’re not there before about half past I’ll assume you’re not coming.”
He wasted no time replying. “I’ll be there.”
Mike’s insides had done a funny little somersault when he read her message. He hoped he could hold himself together when they met.
Mike arrived at The Wine Cellar twenty minutes early. He would’ve been earlier still had he not spent so long looking for a parking space.
Pauline walked in exactly on time and spotted him sitting in the far corner away from the crowded bar area. He was just as she remembered him.
Mike’s insides did that funny little turn again when he saw her but he stood up and asked what she wanted to drink.
“Hi. I’ll have a Prosecco. Make it a large one.”
Once the drinks were on the table he pulled himself together and got down to business. “I want to offer you a job.”
“I already have …”
“I know, you already have one. Just listen to me please, Pauline.”
“Ok, carry on.”
“I’ll offer you more than you’re earning now.”
“You have no idea what I’m earning, Mike.”
“Whatever it is I’ll offer more, plus a car.”
“Why me?”
“Because Ben and I both trust you. We know you’re brilliant at your job. We need someone who knows the business and we need them soon, very soon.”
“Well thanks for the compliment but I don’t think I can accept your offer.”
Mike’s voice got slightly louder. “Oh for fucks sake, Pauline! Why not? Don’t let our past stand in the way of a good opportunity.”
Pauline looked over her shoulder to see if anyone near seemed offended by the use of the F word. Standing by the bar was her boss, Eric Cooper, with a face like thunder, looking straight at her.
“Oh bloody hell! I’ve got to go!”
“What? Why the sudden rush?” Mike grabbed her arm as she got up to leave. “Before you go can you just tell me why you left me at uni, Why you refused my offer when I asked you to marry me?”
“Mike, you were one of the best looking guys on campus. There was no way I could take your offer of marriage seriously. I know you probably meant it at the time but it wouldn’t have worked.”
“I don’t see why not.”
“Oh please, look at you, then look at me.”
“I’m looking at you now, and if that was your reason for leaving I suggest you take a look in the mirror.”
She blushed and said a quick goodbye as Mike kissed her on the forehead. There was no point telling him the real reason why she had walked away after his proposal at uni. Those days were gone. She would live with her past decisions alone.
Pauline gave her boss an embarrassed smile as she walked past him towards the exit. He didn’t look happy at all.
She was engrossed in work when her boss, Eric Cooper, returned from lunch and shouted at her as he entered his office.
“Get in here. Now!”
“What?”
“In here, and shut the door!”
He was in a foul mood and she guessed he knew who Mike was. “Why are you shouting?”
“I saw you with Michael Fairchild today. You must be aware that his firm is chasing the same contracts as us.”
“Are you accusing me of something?”
“I’d rather
you didn’t sleep with the enemy!”
Pauline wouldn’t stand there and take that from anyone, least of all this arsehole who she knew had more than one cheap whore on the side.
“I’m not sleeping with anybody, unlike yourself who’s been shagging prostitutes every Friday afternoon since I’ve work here. I’ve taken calls for you from Beebee, Deedee, Geegee, right up to Zeezee. You’ve worked your way right through the fucking alphabet!”
His face turned dark red, almost purple. She thought he might stop breathing and die on the spot.
“Out! Get out! You’re fired!”
Pauline walked out and took a few things from her desk. She ran her fingers quickly over her PC keyboard and pressed Delete All. A red message appeared on screen warning that to click Delete again would clear All Data. She pressed it, picked up her bag and coat and left the building.
Thank heavens for Mike’s job offer. At that moment she could kiss him.
Chapter Thirteen
P auline had been thumbing through the local paper while Mike was busy on the phone to Frank Morris every 20 minutes throughout the day. She had seen what she first thought was Benjamin Richards name jump out at her but then something of interest in the small print prompted her to read on. She decided to take action on it herself rather than disturb Mike. She was glad when he finally came out to use the washroom.
“A coffee would be nice about now if you’ve finished reading the paper, Pauline.”
“Not only have I finished reading it but I have some news, Oh great one.”
“Make it quick then, and the coffee.”
While she stood by the coffee machine he stood by her desk and saw the small article with a big ring round it. The name Benjamin Richardson caught his eye.
“What’s this about? Who’s this Richardson guy?”
