by Jason Ayres
“I think it’s a great idea,” said Kent. “You’re definitely making more constructive use of your days than I did.”
“I thought you would approve,” replied Kay. “You said it was a good idea in the other timeline, too. Back there, two days in the future, your other self is waiting for me and we are going to go to D.I. Benson together with the information.”
“Yes, that’s probably going to be the toughest bit,” said Kent. “Hannah doesn’t exactly rate me on my detecting skills. I’m not sure exactly how we are going to persuade her, but we can discuss that when you get back. In the meantime, we need to concentrate on making sure nothing goes wrong today.”
“OK, so let’s go over what we know,” said Kay. “We know Anna was in The Red Lion until after midnight, before walking home, presumably alone. We know where she was killed, or at least where the body was found. So all we really need to do is follow her and see what happens.”
“That’s where things start to get tricky,” said Kent. “When the killer struck, he must have taken care to ensure there was no one else around. If he sees you following her up the road, it’s going to put him off, isn’t it?”
“Good point,” replied Kay. “So how do we work around that?”
“How about if I go up to the woods and hide out there about midnight?” said Kent. “You wait in the pub, then text me when Anna leaves. That way, I’ll know when to expect her, and we shouldn’t spook the killer from carrying out his plan.”
“This sounds so wrong,” replied Kay. “It’s almost as if we are aiding and abetting him.”
“We’re not because it’s already happened and everything in this universe is going to cease to exist. I’m not feeling particularly good about that myself, to tell you the truth.”
“Why?” asked Kay.
“Think about it,” said Kent. “This version of me, the new one that’s been created by you coming back here, well, I am effectively going to die at the end of today.”
“But you’ll still be alive in the other universe,” replied Kay.
“That’s true, I will, but it won’t be the same me that is physically here right now. As soon as you arrived here this morning when the angel created this new universe, you effectively signed the death warrants of everyone in it.”
“I hadn’t thought of it that way before,” said Kay. “But that’s not really going to harm any of these people, is it? None of them know it’s not the real universe. When the angel deletes it, they will just disappear. It’s not like they will die a painful death, screaming in agony, is it?”
“But I know,” replied Kent glumly. “Whatever I do today, this version of me is now effectively doomed.”
“Look at it positively,” said Kay. “You are free from consequences just as much as I am now. You can do whatever you want.”
She thought about suggesting they rekindle their romance but stopped short. Although that would be a fun way to spend the afternoon, it was the sort of thing the old Kay would have done and she was turning over a new leaf now.
“I could do whatever I wanted, but I’ve already been there and bought the T-shirt. What I really ought to do is focus on helping you unmask this killer,” replied Kent. “What do you think of my plan to wait in the woods?”
“In principle, it’s great,” replied Kay. “But I can see a flaw in that plan.”
“What’s that?” asked Kent.
“If you are up there unmasking the killer and I’m still in the pub, I won’t know who did it, will I?” reasoned Kay.
“Well, I’ll tell you afterwards,” said Kent.
“What if it’s not that easy?” asked Kay. “What if he spots you and you get into a fight? He might even kill you! Or what if I get whisked back to Boxing Day before you have time to tell me? It’s putting too much uncertainty into the mix. I think your plan is good, but we need to swap places. I need to be in the woods and you need to be in the pub.”
“You could just as easily get killed yourself,” said Kent. “Have you thought about that?”
“Would that matter?” said Kay. “None of this is real so I’ll just end up alive again on Boxing Day.”
“Are you sure about that?” asked Kent. “Your body here might not be your own, but what about your soul? If you die here, in this body, could the very essence of you not die with it?”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” said Kay, feeling a tad uncomfortable. “Otherwise I would have asked the angel before I left. I guess I’ll just have to be extra-careful and make sure it doesn’t happen.”
“OK, good. It looks like we’ve got ourselves the making of a plan, then,” said Kent. “And now I am going to have to go. Debs wants me to pick up our turkey from the butcher’s and they are closing at lunchtime today. If I don’t come back with it, she’ll skin me alive and roast me instead, I expect. And I’ve no desire to experience that in this universe, or any other.”
“We shall meet in the pub later, then,” said Kay, still wondering what she was going to do for the rest of the day. She really needed some money if she was going to enjoy it. Would it be rude to ask him? She couldn’t see why not, under the circumstances.
“Just one thing, before you go,” she added. “Could you lend me a few quid? Well, more than a few, really. A couple of hundred would be nice. After all, it’s not like you’re going to need it after today, is it?”
“I suppose not,” said Kent gloomily, still reflecting about the mortality of his current body.
“I’m skint at the moment and since I’ve used up one of my days coming back here for a good cause it would be nice if I could enjoy a bit of it,” she added.
“What are you going to spend all that on?” asked Kent.
“Oh, just a bit of pampering,” said Kay, remembering her impromptu trip to London on her earlier trip. “I don’t want to be stuck up in that horrible flat all day, not with the landlord threatening to cut my electricity off. And he is definitely going to do that, today, because he did it before. I’ll book myself into the Travelodge.”
It would be a far cry from her previous jaunt to the hotel in Mayfair but she couldn’t go too far, not with the evening that lay ahead. All she really wanted was a hot bath, some decent food and some warmth. Most importantly of all, she didn’t want to see that accursed flat again, or risk encountering McVie.
“Fair enough,” said Kent. “I blew a fair amount of cash on some of my trips back in time. We’ll stop off at the cashpoint on the way to the butcher’s.”
Parting company with Kent, a generous £200 in her handbag, she made first for New Look to get some clean clothes. Next she stopped at Wilko’s for some toiletries, before taking a taxi to the Travelodge where she spent a long, lazy afternoon in warmth and comfort, watching crappy Christmas movies on the TV and taking full advantage of room service.
By the time the early evening rolled around, she was fit and ready for action.
Chapter Twenty
December 2018
Kay had arranged to meet Kent in the pub at 10pm. That was much later than she usually went out but she didn’t want to get sucked into a long-drawn-out drinking session. This was difficult to avoid in The Red Lion at the best of times, but even more so on Christmas Eve when the booze would be flowing freely.
Kent was already there when she arrived, standing at the bar with Andy and the others. She went straight over to join him, and ordered a drink, sticking to just a single vodka with lot of Coke. She felt incredibly nervous knowing what was to come and could quite easily have knocked back a neat double, but was determined to keep a clear head. She needed to be professional about what she was doing tonight.
As soon as Kent saw her, he moved away from the bar, gesturing at her to move further up the pub away from the other regulars.
“Sorry about that,” he said, joining her at the bar, out of view of the others in the crowded bar. “But I didn’t want you to have to put up with any of Andy’s crap. He saw me giving you that money at the cashpoint earlier and
is telling everyone I’m paying you for sex now.”
“What a cheek,” remarked Kay. “I really could slap that twat at times.”
“Well, there’s no point doing anything about it,” said Kent. “It’s all irrelevant in this universe. As is Nobby and The Beast’s argument about what is the best Christmas Number One of all time, which has been going on for well over half an hour.”
“I’m glad I missed that,” said Kay.
“Now then, about Anna,” said Kent.
“Have you seen her?” asked Kay.
“Yes, she’s over there at the pool table,” replied Kent.
Kay looked over and spotted Anna straightaway. She was playing pool with Lauren and her usual group of young male followers. She was struck by how pretty Anna looked. Kay had only ever seen her in her chip shop overalls with her hair tied back in a bun.
Tonight she looked stunning, the curves of her full figure perfectly complemented by the long, black dress she was wearing. Her blonde hair, straight and smooth, flowed down beneath her shoulders now it was no longer tied up. Resisting the temptation to go over and speak to her, Kay turned back to Kent.
“Have you spotted anything unusual? Have there been any weirdos hanging around or anything like that? What about those lads who are always sniffing around Lauren? Could it be one of them?”
“No, nothing out of the ordinary at all,” replied Kent. “She’s been over there with the underage drinkers for the past hour. I can’t see it being one of them: they’re just harmless kids as far as I can see.”
“I think it’s best that we stay over here at a safe distance, then,” suggested Kay, bearing in mind their earlier conversation. “We need to avoid interaction, if at all possible.”
The pool table was less than ten yards away from where they were standing but it was quite easy to blend into the background. The pub was heaving with people and very noisy with the disco blaring out. It was so crowded that Kay even managed to visit the ladies, the door to which was right behind the pool table, without Anna spotting her.
So far, so good, but she couldn’t avoid being spotted indefinitely. The youths at the pool table were knocking back the booze like it was going out of fashion, frequently visiting the bar to stock up on drinks and shots. Shortly after Kay had returned to the bar, it was Anna’s turn to get a round in.
With Kent having nipped off to the gents, there was a space at the bar right next to Kay and Anna made a beeline straight for it.
Kay tried to turn away to hide her face but it was too late. Anna had already spotted her and bounced over, full of festive cheer.
“Kay! Merry Christmas,” she said, in her Polish accent. “Is everything OK with you? I heard Mr McVie say he was going to turn off your electricity at lunchtime.”
She was showing genuine concern, which was so like her. Desperately trying to hide the unbearable emotions churning away inside her, Kay just about managed to reply without her voice cracking.
“It’s OK, Anna, I haven’t been home. I’m staying away for Christmas, so McVie can do whatever he likes.”
“I think he is very cruel to you,” said Anna. “I hope maybe you can find somewhere else to live soon?”
“I hope so,” replied Kay. “And maybe you should find somewhere else to work. You really should not let him abuse you like he does. The things he was saying the other day were nothing short of bullying, not to mention racist.”
Kay knew these words were pointless, knowing that the girl would never see another dawn, let alone find another job. She just wanted to let her know that not everyone in the town thought the way McVie did. It was a tiny crumb of comfort, not a lot to take with her to the grave, but what else did Kay have to offer?
“It’s not easy,” replied Anna. “Although my family has been here seven years, it is hard to find jobs that pay well. The bosses think we will work for very little because we are from Poland, but it is very expensive to live here.”
While Anna was speaking, Kay glanced up and was horrified to see the bloated figure of McVie approaching behind her. This was all she needed. What was he doing in here? She had never seen him in the pub before. He must be one of those once a year drinkers that just came out at Christmas.
“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Lil’ Miss Gummy,” remarked McVie. “I want a word with you.”
“Whatever you’ve got to say, I’m not interested,” said Kay, and she meant it. He had no hold over her anymore, in this universe or the other one, so for once she could speak her mind.
“I told you I wanted that rent by today. And where were you when I came up to collect it? In here, I suppose, like the drunken old slag you are. No wonder you can’t afford to pay my rent if you’re pissing all your money up in the pub. So don’t bother trying to put the lights on when you get home: they won’t work.”
“Do you think I give a fuck?” retorted Kay. “You can shove your shitty little flat up your arse.”
“Careful, missy,” said McVie, leering towards her. “You don’t want to get on the wrong side of me.” He made no attempt to disguise the threat in his voice.
He hadn’t noticed Anna yet, as she had been standing with her back to him the whole time, but now the young Polish girl turned around and let fly with both barrels.
“Why don’t you leave her alone?” she yelled, taking both him and Kay by surprise. “I think you are a very cruel and horrible man, Mr McVie.”
“Oh, so you’re here as well, are you? So that’s why you wanted the night off,” said McVie. “And there was me thinking you were going to have nice cosy evening with however many brothers and sisters you brought over here with you. Clearly I’ve been paying you too much if you can afford to come drinking in this place.”
“You pay me five pounds per hour and it’s exploitation,” responded Anna.
“Yeah, well, that’s probably a fortune in your country. You should be glad there are people like me who are willing to let you come over here and work. In your case, however, you don’t work for me anymore. As of this moment, you can consider yourself sacked.”
“You can’t do that,” said Kay. “Anna was just sticking up for me. Take it out on me if you are going to take it out on anyone.”
She looked towards the gents, willing Kent to get a move on as she could desperately use some backup, but there was no sign of him.
“I think you’ll find I can do whatever I want,” replied McVie. “She’s got no contract, no paperwork, in fact nothing at all to prove she ever worked for me. Do you think I want all that paperwork and expense – tax and National Insurance? Bollocks to that. Foreigners work cash in hand, no questions asked. They like it that way, and so do I.”
Turning back to Anna, he added, “And that means I don’t even need to pay you this week’s wages. Merry Christmas.” He started laughing.
“I want what you owe me,” said Anna. Kay could see she was fighting back the tears, as she tried to stick up to this vile man. “I am going to tell my brothers about this.”
“What, that bunch of unemployed illegal immigrants?” asked McVie. “Do you think I’m scared of them?”
“What’s going on here?” asked Kent, who had finally emerged from the toilets and caught the tail-end of the conversation.
“This man is making a nuisance of himself,” said Kay.
“Is he now?” asked Kent. “Look here, mate, I suggest you move along and stop bothering these ladies.”
“Why, what are you going to do, arrest me?” replied McVie. “Oh no, you can’t do that anymore, can you? Not that you ever could. I know who you are, pal. You’re that crap policeman who can’t catch any criminals. The one that got kicked out and replaced by a woman! You’re a fucking laughing stock, mate.”
Even though the pub was packed and the disco was blaring out, the argument was beginning to attract attention. Thankfully help had now arrived from behind the bar. One of the barmaids, sensing trouble, had called Craig over and he now intervened.
“He may not
be able to arrest you, but this is my pub and I say who does or doesn’t drink here. Any more crap out of you, and you’re out. Now shift yourself elsewhere, away from these people, or you’re out.”
McVie reluctantly complied, but he threw a filthy look at Kay and Anna as he moved away, letting them know in no uncertain terms that this wasn’t over.
“What am I going to do now?” asked Anna. “I needed that job.”
“Don’t worry,” replied Kay. “You can’t do anything now until after Christmas. Just try and enjoy the night.”
What else could she say?
Anna’s friend, Lauren, had come over to the bar now. She had been far enough away by the pool table not to hear what was going on. That was probably just as well, thought Kay. She had seen how feisty Lauren could get, and if she had been drawn into the argument as well, all hell could have broken loose.
“What’s taking so long with these drinks?” asked Lauren, swaying about, clearly drunk.
“Just coming now,” said Anna, putting a brave face on things. “Here, give me a hand.” She passed a couple of bottles of lager to Lauren, and picked up a tray containing the rest of the drinks. Just before she left, she turned back to Kay.
“Thank you for sticking up for me, Kay,” she said.
“I thought it was the other way round,” replied Kay.
“We stuck for each other. You are a good friend, I think,” replied Anna, smiling. She took the tray and made her way carefully through the crowded bar towards the pool table.
That smile well and truly broke Kay’s heart. She knew they were probably the last words Anna would ever speak to her.
With Anna safely out of earshot, Kent said, “Was that really a good idea? You’re not meant to be getting involved with her. What happened back there could have changed things irretrievably. What if she decides to go home early because of it?”
“I didn’t have a lot of choice,” replied Kay. “She spotted me when she came to the bar: I could hardly blank her. Why were you so long in the toilet, anyway? If you’d not left me for so long, a lot of that could have been avoided.”
