“How do you propose we do that?”
Pearl gave him a knowing look. “By making it a game. I’ve got an idea. Are you ready to go back to the supermarket?”
“Would you mind if I had a quick sandwich? I haven’t had my lunch yet.”
“Oh! Why didn’t you say? I keep forgetting that you need to eat. Derek, you must let me know when you’re hungry.”
“Will do. Won’t be a minute.” Derek stood up and returned a short while later with a cheese and pickle sandwich. Pearl outlined her plan whilst he tucked in. He nodded as he ate, it sounded like a good plan. But would it work?
Chapter 6
An hour later, Derek pulled into the car park of Holland’s for the second time that day.
Kevin was bouncing up and down on the back seat. “This is so exciting! We’re going to be spies! Real spies!”
Derek found a space and drove into it. He switched the engine off and turned round to face Kevin. He couldn’t help but smile at the excited look on Kevin’s face. Derek said, “Now remember what we said. Stay by Pearl’s side and do exactly what she tells you to.”
Kevin nodded vigorously. “Yes! I will do. I’ll stay at Pearl’s side.”
Derek continued, “And no running away. Even if you see one of your friends, don’t go running after them.”
Kevin shook his head rapidly. “I won’t run after them. I’ll stay by Pearl’s side. I’m going to be a spy!”
Pearl let out a little laugh. “I wish I had some of those reins that people put on their children. Right, come on, Kevin, we’ll go on our spying mission. Derek, what are you going to do?”
“I’m going to wander around the shop and see if I get the opportunity to talk to anyone about Kevin. And I’ll do a bit of shopping.” Something caught his eye outside. He turned his head. “By heck! Kevin is already out of the car! He’s running towards the supermarket doors!”
Pearl swore loudly making Derek’s ears burn. “I’ll get him!” She shot through the passenger door and ran towards the supermarket. She stopped and planted her hands on her hips. She threw her head back and yelled, “Kevin Shepherd! Get yourself back here right now!”
Derek rubbed his ears. She really did have a loud voice. He was glad he wasn’t on the receiving end of that order.
Kevin came slowly out of the supermarket. His shoulders were slumped and his head was down. He peered out at Pearl and shuffled towards her. If he’d have had a dog’s tail it would definitely be hanging between his legs.
Pearl took one hand off her hip and beckoned Kevin to come closer. He did so, looking firmly at the ground. Even though Derek could only see Pearl’s back he was certain that she was giving Kevin a good telling-off. She reached out at one point and lifted his face so that he had no option but to look at her. After a minute, Pearl stopped talking. Kevin gave her a slow smile. Pearl reached out a hand and took hold of one of Kevin’s. She turned back to look at Derek and cast her eyes heavenwards.
Derek chuckled to himself as he watched the two hand-holding ghosts enter the supermarket. He wondered for a moment if Pearl had been a mum when she was alive. That might explain why she was so upset about Kevin’s death.
Derek got out of his car and opened the boot. He took out his shopping bags and then locked the car. He took out his phone and looked at his notes page. He was getting into the habit of using his phone more. This notes page was particularly useful. Every time he thought of something he needed to buy he put it on his list. He nodded as he looked at his list now. A shopping basket would be sufficient, rather than a trolley.
Derek made his way into the supermarket. He took a basket and began to stroll around. He picked up a few items as he went.
He had to clamp his hand over his mouth at one point to stop laughter escaping as he saw Pearl and Kevin in action. They were following Sam who was loading up a customer’s trolley. Pearl was blatantly looking in the trolley and then at the device in Sam’s hand. Kevin was taking his new profession as a spy seriously. He peeped around a corner at Sam. Then he flung himself on the floor and wiggled himself closer. He got to his feet and then tiptoed in an exaggerated fashion towards Sam. Bless him, didn’t he realise Sam couldn’t see him anyway?
Derek visited the fish counter and tried starting a conversation with the fishmonger. The fishmonger wasn’t interested in chit-chat and only wanted to know if Derek wanted the head chopped off his fish.
Derek moved on to the cheese counter and then the meat counter. It seemed that no one was in the mood to chat.
As he wandered around he noticed that someone else was doing the same thing. Interesting. Derek kept his distance as he followed Mr Collier around the store. The manager yawned frequently and rubbed his hands over his eyes as if trying to will himself to stay awake. Derek managed to get close enough to hear what Mr Collier was saying to his staff. Hmm, that was intriguing. He’d have to discuss that with Pearl.
It was a good hour later when Derek took his shopping basket to the till. He tried again to start a conversation and asked the cashier if she knew Kevin. She shrugged and said she’d only been working there three weeks.
Derek paid for his shopping, grabbed his bags and then headed for his car. He was pleased to see Pearl and Kevin already inside.
He put his shopping in the boot and then got into the driver’s seat. He smiled at Pearl and said, “Have I got news for you!”
Pearl folded her arms tightly. “And we’ve got news for you.”
Chapter 7
As soon as they arrived back at Derek’s house Kevin started to run around the living room. “Mr Derek! Mr Derek Quill! We were spies! It was such good fun!” He jogged over to Derek and whispered, “I think I was a better spy than Pearl but don’t tell her that.”
Pearl sat on the sofa and patted the seat next to her. “Sit yourself down, Derek, love. Kevin, stop that running around, you’re making me feel dizzy.”
Kevin ran around to the armchair and curled himself into it, his legs crossed. “Pearl, are you going to tell Derek what we saw? Are you going to tell him that we followed Sam? We followed Sam when he was filling those trolleys, Derek. He put in loads of wine and whisky and gin and beer. Didn’t he, Pearl? Are you going to tell Derek that we followed Sam into the warehouse?”
Pearl spoke quickly, “I don’t think I need to tell Derek anything. Kevin, calm yourself down, let me talk for a minute.”
Kevin grinned and then put his hands over his mouth.
Pearl turned to Derek. “As Kevin just said, Sam did put a lot of alcohol in each trolley. I read the shopping lists on his device and the customers were not ordering that much alcohol. We followed Sam into the warehouse. He looked as if he was up to no good, I can tell you! He walked behind a stack of electrical items, took the bottles from the trolleys and put them inside the drum of a washing machine.”
Kevin burst out, “I think he’s going to wash the bottles!” He caught Pearl’s stern look and his hands went back up to cover his mouth.
Pearl continued, “He’s got a few hiding places in that warehouse. I saw him checking a list on his phone. It seems like he’s stealing to order.”
“How is he getting them out of the warehouse without being seen?” Derek asked.
“I’m not sure yet. There’s a car park at the side of the warehouse, the staff use it. Sam could be parking there and then coming in to collect the stolen items when no one is looking.”
Derek held a finger up. “Remember what Kevin said about Sam messing about with the forklift trucks? He could be using one of those to transport the items out of the warehouse and towards his car.”
Pearl frowned. “But wouldn’t the supermarket have CCTV? Wouldn’t they spot unusual activity?”
Kevin said in a muffled voice, “Can I speak now please? I want to tell Derek something.”
“Go ahead,” Pearl told him.
Kevin moved his hands and said, “I followed Sam into the toilets. Pearl didn’t want to come with me, she said it was no place
for a lady. I followed Sam and I saw him talking on his phone. He’s meeting someone at The King’s Head tonight. They must be having a party because Sam laughed and said he would bring the drink.” He looked at Pearl and then back at Derek. “I’ve been a good spy, haven’t I? I like being a spy.”
Pearl said, “You’ve been an excellent spy, young man. Derek, I think Sam must be meeting someone at The King’s Head to offload the stolen items.”
“Then I’ll go there and see who he’s meeting,” Derek said.
Kevin jumped off his chair and cried out, “More spying! Yay! Can we go with him, Pearl? Please?”
“Kevin, sit down!” Pearl admonished him. Kevin did as he was told. “Derek, tell us what you found out. Did you get any more information on Kevin?”
“No. But I followed Mr Collier around the store. He was talking to almost every member of staff. I managed to get close enough to hear what he was saying. He was telling them how proud he was of them, and how he’d updated their records to show how hard they had worked. He told them to keep it up. Kevin, is that something he normally does?”
Kevin shook his head and grinned at them. “Mr Collier likes to hide in his office. He told me that. He said he liked talking to me but not the others because they always moaned about something or other.”
Derek thought for a moment. “He kept looking around the store in a funny way as he walked along. It was as if he was committing it to memory. And those things he was saying to his staff … I got the impression that he was saying goodbye.”
Pearl agreed. “It does sound that way. Is he going to do a runner? Have you stirred up some feelings today, Derek? Does he feel guilty about something? Kevin! Will you stop bouncing on that chair! It’s not a trampoline!”
Kevin jumped off the chair. “I can’t help it! I’m so excited! Can we go and be spies again now? I’ll be quiet!”
Pearl lowered her voice and said to Derek, “I think I’d better take him away for a while. Will you be alright going to The King’s Head on your own? If we took Kevin he’d only ruin your concentration.”
“I can go on my own, that’s no problem,” Derek said.
Pearl put her hand on top of his. A warmth flowed up his arm and towards his heart. Pearl said, “You be careful in that pub. Don’t put yourself in harm’s way. I mean that, Derek. Whoever was evil enough to kill Kevin wouldn’t think twice about killing you.”
“That’s a cheery thought,” Derek said as lightly as he could. “I’ll be fine. I won’t do anything silly.”
Pearl gave him a pointed look. “That’s the kind of stupid thing people say just before they do something silly.”
Kevin began to race around the sofa. “Superspy Kevin to the rescue!”
Pearl stood up and said, “Kevin, it’s time to go.” She stuck her arm out as Kevin whizzed past and grabbed his sleeve. Kevin came to an abrupt stop. Pearl looked at Derek. “Be careful, my love.” She disappeared, taking Kevin with her.
Chapter 8
Derek settled himself down at a small table in The King’s Head later that evening. He put his orange juice in front of him and took out a book from his inside coat pocket. He was feeling quite nervous and could have done with a stronger drink. But he wanted to keep a clear head. And he’d brought his car with him in case he needed to chase after Sam. He hoped not. He wasn’t particularly fond of driving at night.
He took a small drink of his orange juice and looked around the pub. It wasn’t too busy and it was mainly men who were here. Some were playing darts and some were gathered around the snooker table. There was a general sound of chatter and the occasional loud laugh. Derek couldn’t see Sam anywhere.
Derek opened his book and was soon involved in the spy adventure taking place within the pages. He smiled to himself as he remembered Kevin’s spy activities earlier.
Just as Derek turned a page he felt the atmosphere in the pub change. It was only a slight change but it felt like the volume had been turned down slightly. He looked up from his book and saw Sam standing near the bar. He had a smug look on his face and was nodding at the men who were standing opposite him. There was a conversation between Sam and the men but Derek was too far away to hear them. He saw Sam take out his phone and read something on it.
Derek put his book down and stood up. He needed to hear what was going on. He took the long route to the toilet, making sure he passed close to Sam as he did so.
Sam was saying, “Yeah, I’ve got that one. You’ll get it in good time. And I can get more of it too. Buy me a drink and you’ll see the good stuff soon.”
Derek walked as slowly as he could get away with but he didn’t hear Sam say anything else.
Derek had a rapid visit to the toilet and then returned to his seat. Sam was still at the bar. He was leaning on it and surveying the room as if he had all the time in the world. Had they been wrong about him? Was he really stealing from the supermarket? He didn’t have any carrier bags at his side so if he was selling stolen items then where were they?
Derek continued sipping his drink. He turned back to his book but he couldn’t concentrate. He had an uneasy feeling that Sam was up to something.
He jumped as he heard a loud laugh at the bar. It was Sam. He held his hands up and said, “Alright! Be patient. You can have your gear now. It’s in my car.” He turned to leave the pub. He was followed by the men he’d been talking to.
Derek quickly put his book away, mentally counted to five, and then casually left the pub. He headed towards the car park. It was well-lit and he could see a gathering of people at the far side. Derek got into his car and reached for the binoculars that he kept in the glove compartment.
Through the binoculars he saw Sam standing by the open boot of a car. Sam reached in and picked out a bottle. It looked like whisky. He held it towards a man in front of him. The man reached into his pocket and retrieved something. Money? He passed it to Sam and then Sam handed over the bottle.
Derek lowered the binoculars. So Sam was selling stolen items. But could Derek prove it? And did it have something to do with Kevin?
Derek took his phone out and took some pictures of the scene in front of him. He wasn’t sure if they would pick up much but it would show that Sam was selling bottles, possibly stolen ones. Derek wasn’t sure yet what he was going to do with the photos. Could he show them to Mr Collier at the supermarket?
Derek watched for a little while longer. Sam sold about a dozen bottles. How much profit was he making? Was it even worth it? After a while Sam closed the boot of his car and headed back to the pub. Derek started up his engine and drove out of the car park. He wished Pearl was here to talk to. They always seemed to work things out together.
Derek concentrated on the road as he drove home. He pulled into the driveway of his house and stepped out of his car. He turned around to lock the car door.
Someone grabbed him and spun him around.
“You’ve been following me!” Sam spat at him. “I saw you in the pub and the car park. And I saw you taking photos.” He raised his fist and snarled, “You’d better tell me what’s going on, old man.”
Chapter 9
Derek stared at the young man in front of him. This could possibly be the man who had killed Kevin. Unaccustomed rage coursed through Derek. He seized Sam’s hand that was on his shoulder and pulled it off. “Get your hands off me this instant!” Derek declared. “And put your fist down! How dare you threaten an elderly gentleman?”
Confusion crossed Sam’s face and he lowered his hand. “Alright. There’s no need to shout.”
“There’s every need!” Derek shouted. “I hope I’m being loud enough to bring my neighbours to their doors!”
Sam looked left and right. He gave Derek a nervous smile. “I only wanted to talk to you. I wanted to know why you were watching me.”
Derek folded his arms. “I’ll tell you exactly why I was watching you.”
The front door of the neighbouring house opened. Suzanne looked out. “Derek? Are you al
right? Is that lout bothering you? Shall I call the police?”
Derek held up a hand. “No, thank you. I’ve got everything under control.”
Other doors began to open and enquiries were made about Derek’s safety. Sam swore under his breath and tried to take a step back. It was Derek’s turn to do the grabbing.
He turned Sam towards his house and said, “Come with me, Sam, let’s have a little chat.”
Sam glanced at Derek’s neighbours who were still standing at their doors. He must have decided that going with Derek was the safer option because he didn’t struggle as Derek led him into his house.
They went into the kitchen. Sam refused the offer of a cup of tea. Derek made one for himself. His sudden bravery had taken its toll on him and his heart was beating ten to the dozen. He didn’t really want tea but he needed a minute or two to compose himself.
When his tea was ready, Derek took it and sat opposite Sam at the kitchen table. “So, Sam, are you going to tell me what you’re up to?”
Sam shoved his hands in his pockets and muttered, “I’m not up to nothing.”
Derek gave him a jovial nod. “We both know you’re lying. That lovely lady next door is called Suzanne. When I saw you at the supermarket earlier you were completing her online order. I noticed many bottles in her trolley. Her order arrived later and I was the one who unpacked it.” He let out a chuckle. “Can you imagine my surprise when I didn’t find any of those bottles? I wondered if they’d disappeared! And then I saw you at the pub and you were selling very similar bottles to your chums. Isn’t that a coincidence?”
Sam looked him up and down. “So? What are you getting at? And how did you know I was doing Suzanne’s order?”
Derek took a moment to gulp down some tea. He was well aware that he could be talking to a murderer. He put his cup down and continued, “It doesn’t take a genius to work out that you’re stealing from the supermarket. And then you’re selling those stolen items on.”
Pearl And Derek Mysteries - Box Set 1 Page 21
