The Reluctant Villain

by James Williams

  Ignoring her questions, he asked his own in a pleading tone,

  “Sally, where have you been and why didn’t you tell me you were leaving me. I need you here Sal, I’ve had a lousy week. Will you come back here to live with me? Please Sal, I need to know!”

  This was not the Gerry she knew, something was wrong and the concern showed in her voice,

  “Gerry, take a deep breath and try to calm down. There’s something wrong, tell me, what’s the matter, love”

  Hearing her soft calming voice Gerry broke down into floods of tears, the recent events proving too much for him. She called his name several times before he finally managed to compose himself,

  “I’m sorry Sally, it’s just that Gran died last week and Ernie was the only one who helped me. So, can you come and stay with me Sal?”

  Sally let out a small gasp at his news, she had to choose her words carefully so that they wouldn’t cause him more upset,

  “Gerry, I’m so sorry about your Gran, I didn’t realise she was so ill. Listen, it’s not possible for me to travel down to you right now but why don’t you come up and stay with me for a while. I can look after you a lot better up here. Does that sound good?”

  He hesitated before answering,

  “I suppose I could come there but why can’t you come to me?”

  “It’s too complicated to explain over the phone but I’ve got some news to share with you. Tell me you’ll come to me, please Gerry”

  Hearing her pleading, he made his decision,

  “Ok Sal, I’ll tell Ernie I need some time to get my head together”

  She spoke firmly,

  “Don’t tell Ernie you’re coming here Gerry, he will try to stop you. Pack some warm clothes, it’s been a bit nippy here lately and book the first coach you can get on. I promise you won’t regret it”

  Accepting her reason he promised he wouldn’t say anything to Ernie and said he would let her know the time of his coach’s arrival.

  After putting the phone down Sally felt a slight movement in her tummy and before she could stop herself she said quietly,

  “Behave yourselves in there you two, daddy’s coming to see you” and she giggled to herself. Then had a moment of trepidation, what if Gerry didn’t accept her word that he was the father. She knew with 100% certainty that he was, but would he believe her.

  If he didn’t, then so be it. She had made her mind up and wouldn’t change it for anyone. Gerry would have to decide for himself what he was going to do.

  Having made enquiries about the availability of a seat on the next coach to Matlock Gerry packed a sports holdall with warm clothes for a short trip to the Peak District, convinced he could talk Sally into returning home with him. After some thought he also packed the gift Stella Stockwell had given him, hoping it would be a lucky charm.

  Ernie only appeared to put up token resistance to him taking time off work but in reality knew exactly where Gerry was going despite his evasiveness. If he didn’t return over the weekend, Ernie decided he would go to confront the two of them and put paid to any plans Sally had made for taking Gerry away.

  The coach journey had taken far longer than planned and Gerry was not only tired but hungry as well. He was looking forward to enjoying some of Sally’s home cooking and most of all her special brand of TLC.

  The taxi driver who had driven him from Matlock Coach Station turned in his seat and told Gerry,

  “This is the street you want mate but it’s been blocked off for some reason by a police car so you’ll have to walk the last fifty yards to your final destination. That will be six quid for the journey”

  After retrieving his holdall from the boot of the taxi and paying the driver Gerry started to walk down the street. He had only walked about twenty metres before a police officer blocked any chance of further progress.

  “That’s far enough young man, where do you think you’re going, this street is closed to everyone apart from residents. What’s your address?”

  Gerry gave him Sally’s address and added,

  “I’m visiting my girlfriend, she invited me up for a few days”

  The officer looked at a list containing names and addresses and told Gerry to wait while he went to talk on his car radio. Minutes later another officer, this time an Inspector, walked quickly towards the police car. After a brief conversation between the two policemen the senior officer approached Gerry and asked him to confirm the name and address he was visiting.

  Gerry obliged and the first feelings of concern started to nag at him.

  Several people were standing around, curiously waiting for events to unfold, keen to witness the first drama that had taken place in their midst.

  He tried to ask the officer what the problem was but was totally ignored as they approached a building that had blue police tape across the gate leading to the flat. On viewing the tape Gerry’s apprehension quickly rose. He spoke again, unable to keep the concern out of his voice,

  “Look officer, what’s going on here, is this Sally’s flat or not?”

  The Inspector turned to look at him and said quietly,

  “Are you saying Mr Reynolds that this is your first visit to this flat?”

  Gerry nodded, and for the first time, noticed the curtains were drawn even though it was still daylight. His attention was then drawn to an ambulance parked a few metres away with both its doors open and the crew standing by awaiting instructions.

  A man, dressed in civilian clothes carrying a medical bag ducked under the blue tape and came out of the flat and Gerry heard his brief comment to the Inspector,

  “I’ve finished in there; you can remove the body now”

  Those words felt like a hammer blow and Gerry had to grab hold of the gatepost to prevent himself from falling. The doctor noticed this and saw the look of distress on the young man’s face. A brief comment from the policeman told the medic what he wanted to know.

  He gently, but firmly took hold of Gerry’s arm and led him to the rear of the ambulance and a female medic helped the doctor to get Gerry to sit on the rear step of the vehicle.

  It took Gerry two attempts to ask,

  “What’s happened to Sally, please someone tell me!”

  The doctor replied softly,

  “Was she a friend of yours?”

  That first word told Gerry everything and he tried to stand up and run to the flat but the two medics were too quick for him and prevented his escape. He started to sob uncontrollably.

  The medical staff, with the aid of a policeman, managed to manoeuvre Gerry into the rear of the ambulance and close the doors with Gerry and the doctor inside.

  Allowing his patient time to regain some composure the doctor eventually asked Gerry of his relationship to the woman who had died and the last time they had met. Between more sobs he explained the reason for his visit.

  Doing a quick mental calculation, the doctor decided not to mention that Sally had miscarried the twins she had been carrying, especially as the young man had made no comment about the woman’s pregnancy. This was news that would be too much to bear by Gerry at this moment in time and he kept his comments to himself.

  Twenty minutes later a soft knock on the door of the ambulance found the police Inspector waiting with a message that they would like to complete the operation of removing the body so they could complete their investigation of the scene of the suspicious death.

  Gerry had regained some of his composure and was led to a police car to be taken to the nearest police station so that he could write a statement. He could also make plans to either stay in the area or arrange travel back to Cladfield. He chose the latter and called Ernie who promised to leave at once.

  With nowhere else to go he stayed at the police station, accepting the offer of a hot drink and a sandwich. But he had no real appetite and only ate part of the food before discarding it. Gerry was given some form of privacy to gather his thoughts by being placed in an interview room that was not required. After a short time,
he fell into an exhausted fitful sleep.

  A hand shaking his shoulder woke him and it took moments for him to recognise his surroundings and Ernie standing over him.

  “You’ve had a hard day Gerry, let’s go home lad”

  Gerry picked up his holdall and stopped in the open doorway and suddenly said,

  “I don’t know what happened to Sally, nobody has told me anything”

  Ernie took his arm and led him out of the room before speaking,

  “I asked for some details and I’ll tell you on the way home if you’re ready”

  Gerry allowed himself to be led out of the police station to Ernie’s car. To his relief, Mark was not waiting for them, the less people he had to speak to, the better.

  Not that much conversation took place with Ernie anyway. As soon as he got into the car Gerry reclined his seat and tried to go to sleep once more. But it was a forlorn hope, visions of Sally came flooding back and he was constantly wiping tears from his eyes.

  Ernie observed these actions and decided to stop at a motorway service station. Gerry needed to talk. It was starting to get dark and there were a few areas deserted of any other commuters, he chose a place in the corner that was furthest from the service building. Giving Gerry a gentle shake of the shoulder to get his attention.

  “It might seem a little premature but you need to get things off your chest. What were you told about the circumstances back in the police station?”

  Gerry sniffled and tried to ignore the question but Ernie gave him another nudge,

  “Come on Gerry, you won’t get any peace until you talk things over”

  Reluctantly he opened his eyes and spoke gruffly,

  “What’s there to say, she’s dead, that’s all that matters, isn’t it?”

  Ernie sighed,

  “She died from carbon monoxide poisoning. She wouldn’t have realised what was happening to her. It doesn’t happen the minute you’re exposed to the gas, it’s a gradual thing that creeps up on you, just like dozing off to sleep but you don’t wake up. Even if you were there, unless you knew what to look for, you would have been just as vulnerable as Sally, and probably just as dead!”

  Gerry stared out of the door window,

  “Better off if I was dead as well. She was the only real friend I had, we were made for each other. Now she’s gone!”

  And the tears began to well up once more. Ernie wanted to say more but now was not the time, instead he asked his companion if he wanted a hot drink or something to eat. A single shake of the head was all he received in response so he started the engine and drove back onto the motorway and headed for home.

  19

  For the following three months after his wife’s funeral Robin Stockwell took little interest in his pharmacy work and limited his opening hours to requests from regular customers he knew personally. Most came to purchase his special lotions made up for them but this custom began to dwindle and he had to decide whether to continue working.

  After much thought he decided to plan a trip to Scotland in early spring. The couple had spent several holidays in those parts, walking and sampling the various amenities in the area.

  He had often expressed an interest in producing a perfume made with the prime ingredient being the heather from the slopes of those mountains above 1500 metres, known in Scotland as the Munroe’s. The idea was hatched in his mind after a rare visit they had made to North Wales, where a local chemist had produced a similar item, called Snowdon Heather™.

  Being a qualified chemist himself Robin knew the process of producing such an item, the blending, testing and discovering the ideal aroma would be the time consuming part, but now he had the freedom to pursue his dream and it was with Stella’s blessing as she had foreseen the demise of the small independent chemist.

  Long before anyone knew about Stella’s terminal illness, Jenny Potter had been made to promise her friend that if ever the need arose she would make Robin a Sunday roast dinner on a weekly basis. Always keen to return past favours it never dawned on Jenny to question why such a situation might ever become necessary.

  On one of those Sundays when she had delivered his meal Robin confided in her,

  “I think my days as a dispensing pharmacist are numbered Jenny, another pharmacy chain has opened a shop a few streets away and I’ve already lost some of my regular customers. If it wasn’t for the odd herbal remedy Stella showed me how to prepare and my lotions I wouldn’t have anyone coming through my doors. I think I will have to diversify or close the shop for good”

  Jenny was horrified at such a thought,

  “Oh Robin! After all you and Stella have done for the people around here, surely not!”

  Robin gave a faint smile,

  “That’s the harsh reality of business I’m afraid Jenny. If people can buy the same things I sell for a lower price from another source, it’s only natural they will go for the cheaper deal, you can’t blame them really”

  “But what will you do, does that mean you will have to sell the shop and move away?” she asked very near to tears.

  “Don’t worry about me Jenny; I still have some savings to fall back on if required. However, I do have an idea I want to pursue. Stella told me to follow my dreams and I still have one in mind.

  “I’ve often thought about making a brand of perfume from natural ingredients and I’m going up to Scotland in a few weeks’ time to collect some of them. It won’t be the same without Stella to guide and encourage me but she would still want me to try at least. I will let you know the dates of my trip nearer the time”

  Over the next few months he made several such trips to Scotland to identify and collect local fauna he thought might make a unique blend. Numerous attempts were made and he came close to admitting defeat but his promise to Stella fuelled his determination to succeed.

  Ernie was also showing great determination in his endeavours to entice Gerry back into his security business. The lad hung around his flat for nearly four weeks after returning home. Nobody had contacted him personally about Sally’s funeral so that event passed by without his attendance. Little did he know, Ernie had given his own details to the police and when he was informed of the post mortem verdict and date of the funeral, he never notified Gerry.

  Mark made frequent visits to his colleague and Gerry who slowly accepted him as a confidant, sometimes giving vent to his anger, on other occasions despairing at the cruel misfortune that had befallen him.

  In one of those latter moments he pleaded with Mark to ask Ernie if he had heard any news from the police in Matlock. Mark already knew the answer but passed on the message to Ernie who had been waiting patiently for this moment to arrive. The next day Ernie invited Gerry to meet him at his house where he could play his trump card.

  “I’m a little ashamed to tell you this Gerry but the Matlock police lost your contact details. The post mortem and funeral took place last week”

  As Ernie anticipated Gerry flew into a rage and cursed the police in general relentlessly for their incompetence and denying him the opportunity to say farewell to Sally. When he had calmed down Ernie dropped his bombshell,

  “I’m truly sorry to have to tell you this Gerry but there’s still more bad news you need to know about Sally.

  “I don’t know if you were aware but she was nearly fifteen weeks pregnant, but that’s not all I’m afraid. I came across a video that doesn’t put her in very good light”

  “Sally? Pregnant? You’ve been given wrong information Ernie, she was in Derbyshire to look after her sister who was pregnant, not Sally”

  Ernie shook his head,

  “Sorry Gerry, she misled you. I’ve known Sally since she was a teenager, she was an only child, no brothers or sisters, possibly the odd cousin somewhere. There are several things you didn’t know about her in those younger years”

  He then selected a video and placed it in the recorder. Gerry sat stunned for several moments before asking about the significance of the video to this conver
sation,

  “I found it in a camcorder we picked up from your old boss’s storeroom. Take my word for it, you don’t need to see it”

  Ernie knew Gerry would fall into his trap.

  “I’ll decide that. Show me!, damn it!”

  He offered Gerry a second chance to change his mind but he shook his head. Ernie sighed and switched on the equipment.

  He played the video past the point where Sally slapped the face of the travel agent and stopped it when it became evident what the whole evening was all about. Gerry jumped up and ran to the bathroom to be violently sick. He didn’t come back into the living room for a further ten minutes where Ernie pushed a drink into his hand and told him to drink.

  Gerry duly obliged and coughed a couple of times at the sharp taste of the alcohol. He sat quietly, staring into the void before asking,

  “Is there any more news of Sally you want to drag through the dirt?”

  Ernie shook his head,

  “No, it seems she left at that point and another woman took her place, at she had the sense to do that. I’m sorry Gerry, that wasn’t easy for me either, I liked Sally, she had a decent heart but was led astray on some occasions, and you needed to know the truth”

  “Did I? And what about the others in that video, is anything going to be done about them? I recognise that bitch Abigail and the bloke Sally slapped, that’s the travel agent you were talking to when Harry and me were clearing out that shop. I don’t know the other man, who was he?”

  Ernie could sense that Gerry wanted someone else to be hurt just like he was hurting now, so he gave him his wish.

  “This is what I plan on doing. The wife of Percy Matthews is the power behind his business, it’s her money that helped set him up in the first place. There’re a few clips you haven’t seen on that video revealing Abigail in all her glory.

  “Along with those clips and some information I gleaned from another source, it seems that Abigail obtained drugs for the woman who took Sally’s place. That same woman died from a drugs overdose a couple of weeks later.

  “Mrs Matthews will be receiving those details along with the clips I mentioned and I bet Miss Abigail won’t be seen in her shops again”