The Reluctant Villain

by James Williams

  “You said nobody else would know about that video as long as I co-operated with your demands!” Andrew Phillips was clearly upset about something. He had shown his visitor into the back office in order to talk privately with Ernie Newsham.

  “Calm down Andrew, I haven’t told anybody else about our little arrangement. Let me guess, you’ve been approached by one of the other participants from your little adventure? A female I would guess?”

  Looking a trifle embarrassed as the mention of the video being described in such a manner Phillips nodded,

  “Yes, I’m sure it was the one who slapped my face, I think her name was Sally. She wants £2000 by tomorrow lunchtime or she will go to the press, that would ruin me”

  Ernie’s reaction surprised him. He laughed out so loud, Phillips looked nervously at the door, half expecting someone to walk in and check if everything was ok. Then his visitor became serious once more,

  “It definitely was not Sally, she died about a month ago from carbon monoxide poisoning. But don’t worry, I know who it was and will deal with her later”

  The travel agent looked pensively at Ernie,

  “Poisoning? It was an accidental death?”

  Not wanting his victim to feel any more confident Ernie replied,

  “Let’s say it was avoidable if she had heeded advice. Now I have work to do but let me know if you hear any more from our would-be blackmailer”

  Returning to the Leisure Centre he gave Mark details of what had happened to Gerry and how he had rescued him from the police station.

  “Wow! That explains why he hasn’t turned up this morning, did you manage to tell him about our own little adventure last night?”

  Ernie shook his head, he had forgotten all about their haul of branded perfumes they had taken as one off payment for promising not to take further action against a reluctant business owner who wanted to be left in peace.

  “Last night’s episode with Gerry must serve as a lesson to us, we need to have alibis prepared when we plan a job. I’ve had a run in with Gates in the past and he can be a trying bastard at the best of times. It was on his recommendation that I wasn’t allowed to return to duty after my accident so I owe him”

  Mark kept quiet, if Ernie wanted to get back at someone then that person better be on their guard. When Gerry turned up for work after lunch, Ernie said he had work to do in his office and he wasn’t to be disturbed for anything except for an emergency situation.

  Making sure his office door was locked he set about sorting out Andrew Phillips problem. Having acquired Abigail’s address and phone number using techniques from his police days, Ernie dialled her number.

  It was clear from the female’s voice that answered the phone she had been drinking so Ernie spoke in a very officious tone,

  “Am I speaking to Ms Abigail Spires? This is the police”

  There was a gasp followed by a loud thud as a heavy object hit the floor. Abigail cleared her throat before speaking,

  “Yes, I’m Abigail Spires, what do you want with me?

  “Ah, good. Miss Spires I understand a previous acquaintance of yours was a Miss Barbara Hutchinson who sadly died from a drugs overdose. Is that correct?”

  There was another gasp and cough before her response,

  “I did know Babs but so did loads of other people, why are you asking me?”

  “Miss Spires, her death is being re-investigated and we are trying to establish her movements prior to her death. A witness has come forward who claims you were with her less than twenty four hours before she died. Do you recall this meeting? Also, were you aware Miss Hutchinson had a drugs problem and if she always went to the same supplier?”

  By now Abigail was perspiring heavily and could barely hold onto the phone,

  “Look, whoever you are, this all happened a long time ago and I can’t remember details and I haven’t been well lately. Let me have a think about it and I’ll get back to you Mister?”

  “Oh, I’m sorry, my name is Detective Inspector Gates. Have a think about what I’ve said and I will give you a ring early next week. One other thing, do you know a Mr Andrew Phillips and if he was an acquaintance of Miss Hutchinson by any chance? Goodbye for now Miss Spires”

  Abigail retrieved the glass she had dropped and poured in the remainder of the vodka from the bottle. Her plans for using the money she knew Phillips would have paid to go abroad were unravelling fast, if the police had made a connection between the two of them it wouldn’t be safe to have any further contact with him. That only left Percy as a source of funds.

  Rising unsteadily to grab the phone once more she spilt some of the alcohol on her dress. Pressing the memory button on the phone that held Percy’s home number, having ignored his pleas never to do such a dangerous thing, she cursed under her breath as there was no response. It finally cut into the answering service and the voice of Mrs Matthews purred down the line,

  “I’m sorry but there is no one to take your call at present, you can leave your name and number…” and Abigail slammed the phone down before the message ended. That meant she would have to keep her rendezvous with the Councillor. On the bright side, he did have access to emergency council funds and she was sure it wouldn’t take much persuading on her part to make him hand over some of that money. He had done so in the past so now wouldn’t be any different.

  The long leather boots, matching leather mini skirt and imitation fur coat would do the trick for her. She struggled into the tight boots but failed to notice one of the heels was slightly loose.

  Finishing off the remains of her drink before leaving the apartment she was annoyed to find the lift wasn’t working so it had to be those dam stairs again! She cursed as the loose heel nearly made her fall but she continued to the top of the stairwell and pulled open the fire door. In her impatience to leave the building she didn’t appreciate the combined effect of the alcohol and cold draft in the stairwell was having on her. On the third step the heel of her boot snapped and Abigail was thrown violently to one side with a scream that echoed all around the confined space.

  Her head struck the metal handrail with a sickening thud and she tumbled to the bottom of the stairs. Her neck was broken as it hit the lower fire door at a rakish angle. Her body would not be discovered until the following morning. When news of her death did become public knowledge at least three men in the town could now sleep easier in their beds.

  Over the next few months Ernie’s mini crime wave continued to reap dividends. So much so, he had to find more outlets to disperse of his ill-gotten spoils. They still met up with the Market Man on a regular basis but he couldn’t dispose of all their stock. An extra van was purchased for the task of disposal and Gerry became the main driver for these tasks while Ernie and Mark dealt with the accruement of goods.

  Gerry got to know the Market Man and when he heard the young man’s life story he would often give him extra bonus payments.

  “If you get the chance son, ditch this life or you’ll always be looking over your shoulder like me”

  Gerry considered the advice but was caught in a dilemma. Yes, he knew he was now on the wrong side of the law and he felt uncomfortable with some of the things he was now participating in via Ernie’s instructions.

  On the other hand, everyone and everything on the “right side” had been taken from him. His parents, his grandmother and especially Sally were all gone and he had nobody to turn to except Ernie and Mark. To a lesser extent, the Evans family had left the area and Lee and Karen Bradley had finally moved to another town.

  He had been cheated out of his job and promising career by Matthews who was also managing to influence his friends in the police.

  He was earning more money than he had done before and David Evans had not responded to his phone call about Mark moving in and sharing the rent for the flat, so he took that as a positive outcome.

  Both he and Mark had a minor supervisory role over the juveniles who attended the Centre and he was proud of the fact the
y were influencing them to stay on the right side of the law, despite their own double life. However, as Ernie constantly emphasised, it was the adult members who attended the various facilities at the Centre they had to be wary of becoming suspicious. If any did raise concerns Ernie would step in either with an alibi to allay their questions or challenge people to produce hard evidence. None did.

  Robin Stockwell had steadily acquired enough ingredients to develop his perfume concoction to a point where it was now at the testing stage. But whose opinions would he seek and respect. He had kept himself busy for the past six months since he had started this new venture and he needed a holiday.

  And, there was the answer! He would visit Canada to see his granddaughter Natalie and her stepfather, Frank Jardine. Frank had kept a watchful eye on Natalie since her mother died when she was in her early teens. Frank also had a healthy respect for the elderly pharmacist and his late wife and their previous visits to Canada had been warm and friendly. To complete the perfect reason to visit Natalie, she was due to have her degree awarded but that was still several months away. She would also have female friends who could express opinions on his creation.

  Checking dates and times for his possible departure he found the telephone number of Andrew Phillips Travel Agency. He and Stella had used their services in the past and the agency new his requirements. Robin also enquired about exchanging some pounds sterling into Canadian dollars but decided to wait until nearer the travel date to see if he could get a better exchange. With an increase in reports of damage to business’s and other vandalism being reported throughout the town he decided to keep his travel plans to himself until nearer the time.

  Ernie was not too surprised upon receiving a phone call from Graham Bishop, he had guessed it would only be a matter of time before the favour was requested, his patience was duly rewarded. Bishop wanted to arrange a meeting to discuss a proposition concerning numerous valuable items that would mean a trip abroad for Ernie if he was interested.

  Because of the knowledge he had accrued about Graham Bishop he didn’t want any locals, especially his two assistants to know about their meeting so it was agreed they should meet out of town.

  “Ok Graham, what have you got to show me that could warrant a trip abroad to dispose of these items?”

  Bishop opened up the holdall he had carried into the motel room Ernie had booked from someone who asked no questions as to why the booking was only for three hours. It was a regular occurrence at this time of year, short term hire of rooms for cash.

  The contents of the holdall were in cloth bags, each with a small hand written label to describe their origin. Unknown to Bishop Ernie had seen an identical bag a few months earlier. As each bag was emptied Ernie had to suppress his excitement at the impressive display in front of his eyes.

  “Where did these come from?” he asked, even though he was certain he knew the answer. Bishop shook his head,

  “I’ll tell you later if we can do a deal. Right now, give me a price and where you reckon you’ll find a buyer”

  “What about your usual contacts Graham, too hot to handle or not interested”

  Bishop hesitated before answering, he was desperate to be rid of these things but he tried not to show it. Instead he made up a story to cover his tracks.

  “I took them across on the ferry to Holland to a fence I used in the past but I got a tip-off to say the police were watching his shop, so I came straight back home”

  Ernie laughed out loud,

  “Is that so? Graham, if you tried to walk through customs carrying this little lot we would have heard the alarm bells ringing this side of the North Sea. No sunshine, either nobody was interested, or you were offered a lousy price. Am I right?”

  Bishop let out an expletive, ”Damn you” Newsham, what are you offering then, this stuff is worth a mint but I can’t afford to hang on to it forever”

  Ernie nodded,

  “Two things, is this everything and where did you pick these things up? I need to know how hot they are before deciding”

  Graham Bishop knew he had little choice.

  “You knew Harry Brown, the geezer who died in that shop fire, a few months back he sold me a set of skeleton keys he claimed he found in his work. Well, I used them keys to do that job on the film actress in Bristol.

  “Then I overheard that kid who works for you now talking to his bit of stuff in the library about some trinkets his Grandma kept that came from South Africa. I bided my time and waited until the kid and the old lady were otherwise occupied”

  He pointed to the items in the cloth bags, one bloke told me these are some kind of tribal artefacts and I could get a small fortune if I found the right dealer, but I don’t have the time to go chasing round looking for some specialist dealer, so I’ll take what I can and be shot of that shit”

  “What about the items you stole in Bristol, from what the papers said they were worth a fair few quid. Are they part of this favour you want sorting?”

  Bishop shuffled back and forth before replying. He suddenly appeared nervous,

  “Most of them are in my bag. I visited a fence in London to do a deal but the bastard tried to shaft me. He had another bloke with him I’d never met before who drew a knife on me but I was too quick for the prat. I laid him out with the gun I carry for such emergencies, I also put a bullet in the fence for trying to double cross me. I only got out of there by the skin of my teeth before their mates turned up. I heard there’s a price on my head for any information on my location”

  Ernie nodded,

  “I heard there was some trouble with a small time crook and his gang, so it was you who put paid to him. So let’s have a look at what you’ve got in your bag. And if you’re thinking of pulling a gun on me, forget it Graham! I’ve left word with a few people that I was meeting you here tonight”

  Ernie was bluffing but he gambled on his visitor being reluctant to want more trouble. It worked.

  “I got rid of the piece back in London, it was hot anyway. I left a couple of rings behind, hoping your ex-mates might pin the whole Bristol job on them”

  Ernie examined the jewellery Bishop put on the table. He remembered the press coverage of the robbery and was happy to see the most valuable items were present. He spent the next fifteen minutes examining the items with great care. He finally sat back in his chair and spoke,

  “If you had come to me straight after the Bristol job we could have got at least 50K for them but after you shot those two in London they’ve become too hot for most fences to handle. We would be lucky to get 10K, even if I took them abroad. And don’t forget, my cut plus expenses would have to come out of the final price

  “As for the trinkets, I only know one specialist who might take them off our hands and he’s in Australia but I couldn’t begin to guess what price he would offer”

  Bishop’s shoulders visibly slumped, he had hoped for twice the amount Ernie had offered him. Ever since he had stolen the items from the Reynolds flat he had felt very uneasy, a feeling someone or something, was watching every move he made. Regularly disturbed nights, having weird dreams and thinking someone was in the room with him. Remembering those feelings, he couldn’t stop himself from blurting out,

  “I’ll do a deal with you. You give me the 10K up front and you take your cut and expenses from the sale of the trinkets”

  Ernie sensed something had rattled the man, were the London gang close on his case or was it something deeper. He guessed the latter so he pressed home his own offer,

  “I don’t know how long I would have to spend in Australia, maybe just a week or it could be longer. So, I’ll give you 5K as a down payment and if the trinkets value is enough to cover my cut and expenses you can have the second 5K when I return plus we will split anything over my 10K valuation of the jewellery down the middle. I can’t offer any better than that”

  Bishop knew he wouldn’t get a better offer so he wanted one more concession,

  “Ok it’s a deal. But on
ly if I get my down payment in cash and within the next week”

  Ernie shook his head slowly,

  “Hang fire Graham. I need more time than that. First I have to make sure my contact is interested in these items, then I have to arrange their safe transportation and my air fare down under along with accommodation.

  “When all those details are arranged and I have a departure date for my flight, that’s when you get your 5K. Those are my terms, take it or leave it”

  Bishop snarled,

  “Deal damn you! But if you try and double cross me Newsham, I’ll make sure I put an end to your security scam once and for all. I’ve spoken to a couple of your so called clients and I know how you operate. Your old buddies would love to solve all these mystery break-ins and funny fires over the past year or so. Just remember that!”

  Ernie smiled but there was ice in his words,

  “And if you should try to cheat me in any way, your London contacts will learn of your whereabouts. And I’m sure Gerry Reynolds would love to know the identity of the person who, even indirectly, caused the death of his Grandmother. One final point.

  “You still have a family in Yorkshire who would be even more interested in your new address. So, shall we just go ahead with our business deal and then go our separate ways without rancour?”

  Ernie’s last remarks shook him but Bishop merely nodded and turned to leave but was stopped by his host. “Before you leave here, I suggest you wipe away your fingerprints off everything you’ve touched” and for the first time Bishop noticed Ernie was still wearing his driving gloves. This amused him and he gave the faintest of smiles as he took a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped all the items that had been touched in the room. He then carefully placed all the stolen goods in his holdall and the two men left together.

  The next morning Ernie called Gerry and Mark into his office. It was a rare occurrence for both to be summoned in at the same time and they both waited warily to be told the reason. Ernie didn’t keep them in suspense for long.

  “You don’t have to look so worried, I’ve got some interesting news that will boost our funds significantly”