Trentbridge Tales Box Set

by Lee Wood

  Nostalgia features, like the article about Mitten & Son, always get a good response, especially when they include photographs from a bygone age.

  However, for one reader the article has opened up old wounds.

  Chris Linwood reads the entire feature and grows angrier with every word. The thought of what he would like to do to get back at the family firm had, until now, simply been a daydream.

  Since reading the article, he’s seething with anger and full of dark, nasty, evil thoughts.

  He’s discussed how he feels with his friend. Maybe it was fate the way their paths crossed. How incredible to recall the day they were chatting to pass the time during a car journey and discovered they had both been cheated by the same family.

  Reading the newspaper article made Chris decide the time had come to do something to even the score. Something so bad the person his hate is directed at will suffer for the rest of their life. The way he’s suffered.

  Now it’s their turn. How they will suffer brings a smile to Chris’s face.

  His friend has told Chris he feels as if he has waited his entire life for this moment.

  The anger and hate they both feel. Oh boy, how they will make them suffer for what they have done!

  Chris thinks his friend has come up with the perfect plan. The family certainly won’t see what is coming. But the thing that brings a smile to his face is how much they will make them suffer. And not just in financial terms.

  Yes. Revenge will taste sweet.

  Chapter Seven

  The door of the petrol station flies open as the two masked raiders confidently walk in and the shorter one approaches the cashier's desk. He points a baseball bat at the head of the lady standing behind the counter with her mouth open.

  "Okay, lady, hand over all the cash..."

  The sight of the black ski mask terrifies her. The lady freezes.

  He shouts at her again, this time with a louder and more menacing voice. "Come on, hurry up!"

  She reacts to this new command, opens the till and takes out a fat wad of notes.

  With her hand shaking, she passes them across the counter.

  "Tha… That's all there is."

  The masked raider grabs the cash and as he turns, he reaches out to the rows of sweets and picks up two KitKat bars and places them in his pocket.

  He calmly walks out, followed by his accomplice who has been standing in the shadows guarding the entrance.

  They walk over to the vehicle they had stolen a few hours earlier and before the customers using the petrol pumps realise what is happening they are gone, the black BMW screeching off in the direction of the M6 motorway less than a mile away.

  The pair pull down their hoodies and remove their masks.

  Callum chuckles as he passes one of the chocolate bars to his friend.

  “I thought the old dear was going to have a heart attack when I put the bat in her face.”

  Gordon smiles as he finishes counting the money.

  “So how much did we get?”

  “Eight hundred.”

  “Is that all? I was hoping to be paid more than a KitKat bar for helping you rob your own family,” jokes Callum.

  “That’s eight hundred each.”

  “Oh, that’s better. We’ve had worse days.”

  Chapter Eight

  Gordon Mitten's idea to stay with friends does not last long when his mates find him making a beeline for their girlfriends. One by one, he uses up all the favours until each friend makes an excuse as to why he cannot stay any longer.

  So he drove down to Luton to visit with an old chum from his university days. Smokey Brown had been the go-to guy if you wanted something for a boost. Ecstasy, Skunk, Acid, you name it and Smokey knew someone, who knew someone.

  Now he is a big-shot dealer in his hometown. He is king. A luxurious penthouse apartment with a flash new Porsche parked outside. He is living the high life, in more ways than one.

  Gordon has seen what his friend's lifestyle is like and wants some of the action.

  Within two weeks he is buying from Smokey and selling at clubs and outside local schools. The money comes easy but Gordon likes to splash the cash around.

  Even with an executive-level income, he is always broke.

  Luckily, all it takes is one phone call to his mum and she takes pity on him and promises to send him money every month.

  He told Smokey about the falling out with his father and the reason. Gordon doesn't realise but he is learning the trade in exactly the same way as he would have done in the family business; start at the bottom and work your way up. The irony isn't lost on Smokey but it hasn't penetrated Gordon's head, yet.

  His idea is to learn from Smokey and find his own territory and become a 'main man' just like his friend.

  There is one small problem. Smokey was left £600,000 by his aunt in her will. This got him on his feet and into the major league when he could afford to buy the 'merchandise' in bulk.

  The couple of grand Gordon’s mother sends him every month isn't going to cut it. Smokey gives out more than that in tips to waitresses at bars and restaurants.

  Unlike his friend, Gordon has no dying aunts. Well, none he is aware of.

  Chapter Nine

  The headline of the Trentbridge Times newspaper explains how seventeen-year-old identical twins Erica and Leona Mitten were awarded equal second place in a beauty contest.

  'Local twins robbed of Beauty Contest title'

  The newspaper reveals everyone attending the event had been surprised when the twins only achieved second place.

  Later it was disclosed the winner of the contest is the niece of the judge.

  The paper quoted Oscar Pearson who had been an attendee at the contest as saying, "It was obvious to everyone the twins should have been the winners."

  It soon became a hot topic on Twitter and the details caught the eye of a top London talent agent called Miles Tyler.

  He followed a link to the newspaper article where it mentioned the girls worked as part-time waitresses at The Alley Club in Trentbridge.

  Miles made a note to pop into the club on his return journey from Manchester in a couple of days' time.

  Chapter Ten

  Trentbridge town centre after 11pm on a Friday or Saturday, is a pervert's paradise. Young girls in high heels, revealing tops, skimpy underwear and short dresses walking from one nightclub to another with no coat, even on a freezing cold January night.

  Miles Tyler is gay so his only interest in the girls is where they are heading. They are all walking in the same direction, down an alleyway towards the illuminated sign 'The Alley Club'.

  They join the long queue. He notes not a single one of the girls is wearing a coat despite the almost-freezing temperature.

  Miles had booked a VIP table and one quick word with door security and he is escorted to the front of the long queue.

  Once downstairs, the sound system is so loud each bass note hits his chest like a soft hammer blow. No surprise as the club had recently upgraded to the latest Martin Audio system, exactly the same as in the Ministry of Sound.

  The strobe lighting and lasers help complete the atmosphere as they cascade all across the dance floor, which is packed with people.

  Nobody needs to wait if they are thirsty as the bar is thirty feet long and extremely well stocked and the staff knowledgeable in virtually every drink concoction and cocktail.

  Miles is shown to his VIP booth. He's been in hundreds of nightclubs over the years but tonight something special has caught his eye. The twins he's come here to personally check out, Erica and Leona Mitten. They are the waitresses serving the drinks to his table.

  He's watching them closely. He's glad he dropped into this venue tonight. So far he likes what he sees. Yes, based on their looks they have huge potential.

  He just hopes their personalities are as striking as their appearance. If they are, he's going to make them famous and they, in turn, are going to make him rich. Richer than he
already is.

  Chapter Eleven

  Daniel is worried when the boss at Metro Security called him into his office.

  Perhaps he had found the listening device Daniel planted during recent pay negotiations.

  The device overheard them discussing the maximum they were prepared to pay instead of the two per cent they told the workers was all they could afford.

  The device used by Daniel was the HY929 high-strength wall microphone voice bug. The description said the device can 'Listen through walls. The sensor detects the vibrations hitting the walls, window ceiling or floor and amplifies them so you can listen to what's being said'. Daniel purchased it online for £20.49 including free delivery.

  Over the past three months, Daniel has been online and found lots of covert spy devices. The same place he purchased the illegal pepper spray used on the man hitting the dog.

  Besides the listening device, he bought several other items including a Mini Wireless IP Hidden Spy Camera 1080P HD and 7mm Endoscope 6xLED Waterproof Snake Borescope Inspection HD Camera for less than £20 the pair.

  This device can be used to see through small holes in walls or underneath a door, something Daniel recalls being used on TV programmes by SWAT teams before they storm a building.

  He's also bought the GSM-N9 audio listening bug, which allows you to call from any phone and listen in. It can operate for two days on standby and record up to six hours of conversation.

  More recently he's added a £37 iTrack TK102 Magnetic Mini GPS Vehicle Tracker with a SIM card that lasts for up to twelve days.

  He's bought an HDV 312 video Camcorder with a 16x digital zoom lens on Amazon for little over £40 so he can record people with close-up shots.

  To go with these items, Daniel found a second-hand pair of powerful Celestron Outlands binoculars on Gumtree for £45.

  As he stood in front of his boss, Daniel thought he was about to be sacked. To his relief, the boss obviously didn't know about the device.

  To his surprise, Daniel is told for the next four weeks he will be promoted and be in charge of the CCTV at the Trentbridge Shopping Centre. He will sit in the control room and watch over sixteen cameras covering every entrance and the internal areas.

  With the CCTV cameras, Daniel will be in his element secretly watching people and following them around. Just like in the spy movies he loves so much.

  Chapter Twelve

  On the first day of his shift at the shopping centre, Daniel is given a basic two hours of training to use the CCTV equipment and left to fend for himself.

  The rest of the day is pretty much without incident. The rain keeps away a lot of shoppers and, thankfully most of the shoplifters and troublemakers he’s been told about, and listed, complete with photos, in the folder sitting on the side of his desk.

  Tuesday is a surprisingly sunny day for the time of year. However, it starts off with an elderly lady falling over and the need for Daniel to call for an ambulance to attend.

  For the next hour, he uses the camera to follow people going from shop to shop. As he checks the cameras covering the front entrance, a young lady comes into view securing her bike to the rail.

  With her long blonde hair and shapely figure, she certainly stands out from the crowd. Wearing tight blue jeans with the usual holes around and above the knees, that are the current fashion, and a light pink V-shaped top that barely covers her more than ample chest area.

  He doesn’t recognise her but surely she must be a movie star or famous model?

  Daniel can’t help himself. He uses the zoom feature of the CCTV camera and what fills the screen is his future girlfriend. At least in his eyes!

  She is stunning. In close-up he can see her full pouting lips and perfectly formed face. He has never seen a girl so beautiful.

  For the next forty-five minutes, Daniel uses the CCTV as she goes into a range of clothes shops, grabs a coffee and sits tapping on her phone, she also holds it up and pouts as she takes a selfie.

  He makes sure he keeps an eye on what is happening elsewhere. He doesn’t want to lose the chance of a promotion. Not when his future with this beautiful blonde is at stake.

  Wednesday and Daniel is hoping his ‘girlfriend’ will make an appearance today. Yesterday she arrived at 11.09 and when she fails to appear by noon he is disappointed.

  The day isn’t going to be as wonderful as he hoped. At lunchtime he sits in the control room with the cream of chicken cup-a-soup he enjoys as his lunch every day along with a couple of slices from the loaf of bread he bought on Monday. It means his total lunch expenditure for the week is less than £3.

  He is careful with his money and makes sure to save as much as he can. His only extravagance is buying the various spy devices. Sadly, his budget is not as sizable as MI5.

  At 2.35pm, just when he has given up hope, he sees ‘his angel’ as he now calls her. His face beams as he spots her. She is wearing her hair slightly different today but there is no doubting the stunning beauty filling his CCTV screen.

  He admires her lovely smile and flawless skin, her perfect mouth and luscious lips. The way she tosses back her hair as if knowing he is watching. He feels certain this is his future wife. When they meet face to face she will gaze into his eyes and her heart will melt.

  Daniel waits all day on Thursday but there is no sign of her. Then on Friday, it must be his lucky day. She visits the shopping centre at 10.16am and, to his utter delight, she comes back at 2.25pm.

  The following Monday, Daniel gets the shock of his life. He can’t quite believe his eyes. His beautiful angel, the girl who is to become his future wife, he is seeing double. There are two of her locking their bikes to the rail.

  Identical twins. So which one will be his girlfriend? Which one will he marry?

  He will decide after he gets to know them. Maybe one is a nicer person than the other. If not, his chances have just doubled. Daniel is a happy bunny.

  He writes the details down in his journal. Daniel has kept a journal every day since he was sixteen. Usually a list of daily events, sometimes his hopes and dreams for the future.

  The problem is he’s still no closer to knowing anything about the girls. He needs to find out their names and where they live. Surely this can’t be too difficult for a budding spy? He’s trying to think what Ethan Hunt would do.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Daniel Zugravescu is working the day shift in the CCTV control room. On Friday, Lucas who works the evening shift from 6pm until midnight turns up twenty-five minutes late.

  Daniel is about to protest when the twins come into view walking back through the shopping parade. In an instant, Lucas's bad timekeeping is forgiven.

  Daniel reaches his bike just as the girls reach theirs. He decides to follow them to wherever they are going. He hopes they are heading home.

  He keeps his distance, as the twins’ ride side by side chatting.

  They cross the Mill Pond and towards the edge of Trentbridge, following the bike path that takes them towards Barford.

  As they reach the village, they cycle up to a big house and the metal gates open to let them inside.

  For the entire fifteen-minute ride back to his tiny bedsit, there is a massive smile on his face. Now he needs a way to find out their names and more about them.

  Daniel remembers Lagan, a fellow countryman he met on the coach over from Romania to London.

  When Daniel first moved to Trentbridge, they hung around together until Lagan asked him to sell drugs.

  Daniel said he wasn't interested. But Lagan has a lot of contacts and ways of finding things out.

  "Why would you want such information?"

  "I've seen a girl, two actually. I really like them."

  "Give me the address and send me a photo and I will see what I can do."

  "Thank you, Lagan."

  The following day, Daniel receives a call from Lagan with the information.

  "They are twins. Erica and Leona Mitten. If you want to meet them, go to The Alle
y Club."

  Whenever Erica or Leona visit the shopping centre, Daniel follows them using the CCTV security cameras and his heart skips a beat.

  The girls are always in his thoughts. They are like movie stars or models but not on the TV or in a film but right before his eyes, in real life. His life!

  It will either be Mrs Erica Zugravescu or Mrs Leona Zugravescu. He is already making notes in his journal. In which church will they marry? Where will they go on their honeymoon?

  All he does is fantasise about which one of them will become his girlfriend and then his wife. He thinks they will make a lovely family together and everything will be perfect.

  Daniel is very shy and not good at dancing but maybe he should go to The Alley Club and get to know them.

  Before he does, perhaps there is a way to find out more about them. So when they meet he can pretend to have the same interests. An idea is forming in his mind. Why not make use of the covert spy equipment?

  Chapter Fourteen

  Daniel’s boss had indicated if he did well in charge of the CCTV room he would get a promotion. But yesterday they told him they have decided to recruit a woman for the position. He understands why. Women are paid less.

  The boss informed Daniel in two weeks his role is being taken over and he will return to his nightshift duties.

  Scattered around Trentbridge there are lots of empty commercial properties. In the past, some have been vandalised and set on fire. So landlords are paying Metro Security for someone to make sure they are secure. Otherwise their insurance companies might refuse to pay out on any claim they make.