The Value of Life

by Andy Crowson

  Chapter 9: K

  K woke later than he'd intended and knowing what he'd missed the night before. He'd forgotten to call the Beachams as he had the Martins but there was nothing to be done about it now. He was a little niggled that he'd made this mistake, and so early on, but it couldn't be helped and it was not serious. K's real problem was that part of his plan was to keep the pressure on the police and he'd slept in. He cursed himself for it and dressed hurriedly.

  K found Jamie Beacham crying on the bed. When K had explained the situation and the rules one more time to the now more aware boy, he calmed down a little. He made both boys breakfast and when he took the breakfast into Daniel the kid was playing a game on the PS2.

  "Did Mum and Dad pay you yet?" he asked brightly.

  "I gave them till Friday," K said.

  "What's today?" Daniel asked.

  "Wednesday." The boy was quiet. "Not long now," K continued, "have any problems while I was gone?"

  "Nah," Daniel said, "it was alright. I didn't see nuffin' about me on the news."

  "Too soon for that," K said, "the police are keeping it quiet." He put a finger to his lips dramatically.

  "Ah," the boy said knowingly, and then shifted his attention to the tray. K restocked Daniel's supplies while he ate and when he'd finished he took out the remains of breakfast.

  "I'll be back tomorrow, and not so much chocolate today," he said.

  "OK," Daniel waved dismissively, his attention already back on the game. When K visited Jamie again the boy had eaten half the fry up. K was pleased as it meant the boy was settling down. He questioned Jamie to make sure he understood what was happening to him, and then left him alone.

  By the time K left the cottage it was after nine and he'd missed the days post by a long way. It was important to get the note to the Beacham's today, keeping the police busy and one step behind was what would enable K to keep going. He jumped in the van and headed for London, and by the time he'd reached home he had a plan.

  K parked the van in the garage, hopped straight into the jaguar and drove into town. He wandered round until he found the perfect shop, it was a small private estate agents in the high street, and as luck would have it, closed. K went to the nearest phone box and called a local mini cab company.

  "A to B minicabs," the controller answered.

  "Hello," K said in his natural voice. "I need a cab to drop off a contract for me, can you do that?"

  "Sure," the controller replied, "normal cab fare though."

  "Great. Look, I'm late for a viewing so I've got to run but I'll leave the contract and the cab fare in an envelope half out of the letterbox of O'Leary's Estate Agents in the High Street, across the road from the Pizza Hut, is that OK?"

  "Where's it going to?" the controller asked.

  "Just down to Benton Street, near the fire station," he said.

  "Three pounds fifty," the controller said, "about fifteen minutes."

  "Great, thanks," K said and hung up.

  K walked straight to the cash till and took out thirty pounds, he knew lots of cash tills were under closed circuit TV surveillance and he knew for a fact this one was but he also knew for a fact, that this section of the high street had no traffic or street surveillance cameras in operation. K took the thirty pounds, one twenty note and one ten, and walked to a newsagent. He bought a paper, some sweets, a small packet of tissues and a pack of large envelopes. He handed over the twenty-pound note.

  When the change came he held out one hand and as he'd guessed he got a ten pound note first, then a five, and then change. He closed his hand around the money, only the ten note touching his skin, and walked out holding the cash. K walked hurriedly back to the jaguar and once inside the car, dropped the money on the passenger seat. He opened the pack of tissues and took one out. Then he pulled out the already stamped and addressed ransom note in its plastic bag and used the tissue to slip the fiver and the ransom note into a fresh large envelope from the new packet. K put the large envelope back in the plastic bag. When he was finished he was sure he hadn't touched anything with his bare hands except the outside of the plastic bag.

  Back at the estate agents K used the plastic bag to shove the envelope half way into the letterbox and hurried across the road. He hung around looking in shop windows for about ten minutes before a non-descript white Vauxhall estate pulled up in front of O'Leary's. An Asian man jumped out and retrieved the envelope from the letterbox. He opened it as he walked back to the car. The driver pulled out the fiver, pocketed it and pulled out the ransom note, he checked the address on the envelope, walked round the car, slipped in and drove away. K was pleased with this. The note was late, but it would be an unexpected development that would keep the police busy chasing up worthless leads.

  K was so pleased he decided on lunch out, and since he was almost outside the pizza hut, he strolled in. It was busy inside with the lunchtime rush and K had trouble finding an empty table.

  When a two seater table near the window became vacant he pounced. He ordered four-cheese pizza and a coke. Sipping the coke he waited impatiently for the pizza, suddenly very hungry.

  It was about fifteen minutes later that K realized he'd made his third mistake, and not a little one this time. Three patrol cars came screeching to a halt outside O'Leary's, blocking the street. Officers jumped out and inspected the front of the shop, others heading up and down the street. It was only a matter of time, K decided, before they noticed the large open window of pizza hut looking onto the High Street and out at O'Leary's.

  K pulled his mobile from his pocket and held it to his ear just as the waitress came over carrying his pizza.

  "OK," he said, "I'll be there in a mo, just tell him to wait please." He looked exasperatedly at the waitress.

  "Can you box that for me and bring the bill," he said shaking his head. "Sorry."

  "No problem," she said and disappeared with the tray.

  K looked out at the officers, one was sitting in the car talking into a radio. The officer looked up and down the street and shook his head and talked some more. K was starting to sweat, the policeman now seemed to be nodding. He got out of the patrol car and called several other officers over, then he spoke into his shoulder mike.

  As K watched the waitress appeared with a pizza box and saucer with the bill on it, she put them on the table and walked away. The bill was for twelve pounds seventy five, K pulled the cash from his pocket, put fourteen pounds and change on the plate and left. He left the pizza hut, turned away from O'Leary's and the police and headed straight for his car. As he entered the car park he chanced a look back up the High Street. One officer was crossing the road towards a clothing store another heading for the pizza hut.