The 13th Destiny_Heaven's Deadliest Sign

by Roger David Francis

  “I think I must have phoned the wrong number,” he managed. “There’s no emergency.”

  “Oh, I think there is, my dear. You didn’t phone me by accident. You need something, don’t be afraid to ask.” The voice laughed softly.

  The woman on the end of the phone sounded young to Tim; even though Beth had told him it was an older woman. There was something seductive about the tone and he felt himself starting to relax. He’d been worrying for nothing; it was just a bit of fun.

  “Yes,” he breathed, “there is something I need.”

  The woman’s voice turned brisk. “You full name please.”

  “Timothy William Aldridge.”

  “And your date of birth?”

  November 16th 1972. I’m a Scorpio.”

  “I know you are my dear. You must try and rein your emotions in. This is not the call you need to be afraid of, there are much worse words you can hear on the end of a phone. You are a highly strung man, given to impulsive behaviour, you must be careful not to believe everything you hear. Not everyone is who they pretend to be.”

  “Like you, you mean?” Tim couldn’t resist saying.

  “I am who I am. Now, what do you want for your twenty pounds?” She made a small chuckling sound and then her voice changed and became a soft purr, “anything, my dear, just name it.”

  For a moment Tim felt confused. Wasn’t she supposed to be telling him what to do to achieve his dream? This felt like wishes on demand, blatantly greedy and somehow wrong. With a sudden shock Tim wondered if he was speaking to a telephone sex worker and Beth had set him up. Was the woman really inquiring what he expected to get from her for a mere twenty pounds?

  He felt himself growing hot and uncomfortable. Surely Beth wouldn’t do this, embarrass him, they were friends. He didn’t want to talk dirty to a stranger on the end of a phone, this was a mistake.

  “I’m waiting my dear, speak up, I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what you want. There’s nothing funny going on here,” she added as if she’d read his mind. “All you have to do is tell me what you wish for most in the world.”

  Tim relaxed, almost feeling ashamed that he’d assumed the woman was a sex worker. Beth had said it was just a bit of fun and he should treat it as such. Should he ask for money like Beth? It had worked for her. And then he thought of his daughter, Jackie, a million miles away from him, at least that’s how it felt, living with her husband, Trent, expecting their first baby, his grandchild and he knew then, however selfish of him it was, what he wanted.

  “My daughter to come home,” he said.

  “As you wish.” And the phone went dead.

  It was quiet in the car park. Most of the customers had left to go to work. He had tables to wipe down, a full sink of washing up still to do and yet he sat there not moving, feeling sick, hardly able to believe that he’d wished Jackie home, away from the new life she was making for herself and Trent and the new baby. He should have made it clearer, he thought, wished that Jackie would visit him for a holiday but he’d made it sound so final and the woman had rung off before he’d had chance to explain. But he’d done it now, wished her back home with him.

  Because he missed her. And how selfish was that, thinking only of himself, what he wanted? He felt appalled at what he’d done and then he laughed weakly. It wasn’t real. Of course Jackie wouldn’t come home, how could she? Jackie taught at a primary school, she couldn’t just leave her job to fly halfway around the world on a whim. He was glad Beth wasn’t sitting beside him listening to him make a fool of himself. But God, he missed his daughter.

  Tim was surprised to see his hands trembling; even more surprised how much he wanted his wish to come true. He thought about Jackie getting on a plane waving goodbye to her husband, telling him she’d see him in a couple of months time, that her dad needed her. He remembered once he’d sprained his ankle and she’d asked him if he needed her to come home for a few weeks to take care of him. He’d almost been tempted to say yes but decency had kicked in. Now it seemed he’d overcome his principles.

  But he couldn’t help smiling as he imagined Jackie home where she belonged, changing her mind about Trent and agreeing to stay so Tim could watch his grandchild grow up. And he wouldn’t be lonely any more, he’d have his family back with him.

  A hot wave of anger and shame washed over him. What was he thinking? Jackie had made her choice as she had every right to. Hell, he’d even encouraged her so she wouldn’t feel guilty leaving him. He remembered hating Trent as he hustled Jackie into the airport as if he was afraid she’d change her mind at the last minute.

  But still, Tim thought, none of that had given him the right to wish his daughter home. He sighed, maybe he was being too hard on himself; after all, there was no harm done, Jackie would never find out about his wish. It was all nonsense anyway; nobody could make your wishes come true. He’d only done it to please Beth. Fate decided your destiny not a physic on the end of a phone telling you what you wanted to hear.

  But there’d been something that had felt a little bit wrong about it, as if the woman on the end of the phone meant every word. Tim put his head in his hands and someone tapped the window.

  “Tim? Are you okay?”

  Tim climbed out of the car and smiled at Beth. “Sorry, just got caught up in the madness there for a moment. I’ve made the phone call to your psychic, she seemed a nice young woman, but it was still a bit weird. You don’t believe it really, do you?”

  Beth hesitated. “All I know is that it came true for me.” She put her head on one side. “You said young woman, Shandra’s old, I’m sure she is.”

  “She didn’t sound old.”

  Beth frowned. Something wasn’t right. Had Shandra got other women working for her, was she right now sitting in an office surrounded by a bank of phones, scamming people, pretending you’d interrupted her gardening when the reality was she was head of a big organization? A cult that was spreading like spiders legs over the globe? Anything was possible.

  “Can I tell you what I asked for?” Tim was saying.

  “God, no, I don’t think so, not until after it’s happened.”

  “But I’ve changed my mind, Beth. I was just thinking of myself, what I wanted.” He paused, “I think I’ll call her back.”

  “No, don’t do that.”

  Beth’s voice was sharp but Tim was already tapping the number out. He frowned, “That’s odd, Beth, it’s unobtainable. I’ll have to try later.”

  They walked back into the coffee shop. Beth wanted to reassure Tim that it was all just a bit of fun but what if he asked for his money back? If he did she would have to comply and she couldn’t shake off the dark thought that Shandra would find out. She was creeped out enough with what Abby had told her and what had happened to Fiona. But Tim was a good man; Beth knew that, he wouldn’t have wished for something terrible, it would be all right.

  “About bloody time!” Geoffrey’s roar could be heard by passersby. “While you’ve been piddling about, skulking in the car park, I’ve had to serve two customers. Now get your backsides in gear or you’ll be looking for another job tomorrow.” He glared at Tim and then turned to Beth. “I’ve got a job for you in the stockroom, Follow me,” he told her.

  Beth was surprised. Usually Geoffrey didn’t allow staff into the stockroom, she suspected he bought some of his ingredients from dodgy sources and didn’t want anyone finding out. He was a cheapskate who would get off on saving a few shillings wherever he could. Quantity over quality was his motto.

  Geoffrey shut the door behind them and Beth drew a long satisfying breath in. There was a lovely smell of coffee beans, some which had spilt out of their sacks and were crushed underfoot. It was almost overpowering and because it was also hot and stuffy in the windowless room Beth found herself coughing.

  “Don’t pretend you’re coming down with something,” Geoffrey snapped.

  “Do you want me to sweep up the broken beans?” She asked, looking around for a broom. />
  “No, that’s not why I asked you in here.”

  Something in his voice sent a small shiver of apprehension through Beth. He sounded like a man who was finding it difficult to swallow. She turned and looked at him feeling a wave of dismay wash over her.

  He was squatting down in the corner between two large sacks. He patted the floor beside him, “Come and join me,” he said, his voice thickening. His florid face was sweating and the last thing Beth wanted was to sit next to him. She began edging towards the door.

  “Don’t bother, it’s locked.” Geoffrey told her.

  “Why?”

  “Why do you think? I don’t bite, you know,” Geoffrey growled. “You owe me, girlie, twenty pounds, I want my money’s worth, it’s time to pay up.”

  For one surreal moment Beth thought her boss, Mr Rankin was asking for his money back and then he put his hand down and began rubbing himself and Beth knew she’d got it terribly wrong. The vile man had used his wish up to have sex with her and he was grinning like the village idiot. Stuff you, Shandra, she thought, you’ve messed up big time if you think I’m up for this.

  He said, “What are you waiting for, Beth? I know you want me, I’m not blind; I’ve seen the way you watch me. Don’t look so worried, I’ll make it worth your while, I know you’re worth more than twenty pounds.” He leered at her, his lips parting and glistening with saliva. “I’m all yours, doll.”

  I mean it, Shandra, Beth thought, it’s not happening, not now, not ever, not even if it means losing my job. You cruel, hateful old woman even thinking I’d go along with it, this is one time you’re not going to make someone’s wish come true, I’m out of here.

  She managed to take a couple of steps backwards already opening her mouth to scream for help when the stockroom door burst open. Beth swung round and was amazed to see a plump red faced woman in her mid sixties come staggering into the room.

  “They told me you were in here, Geoff,” she panted. “I want a word with you.”

  “Bloody hell, Elsie, how did you get in here?”

  “The key’s in the door.”

  “What are you playing at? You can’t come bursting into my place of work ....”

  Elsie waved her hand dismissively at him. “Be quiet Geoffrey, you and I need to talk.”

  She turned to Beth, her face bathed in a film of sweat. “I’ll take over now, love, you get back to work,” she said, and Beth slid gratefully out of the door but not before she caught the wink the woman gave her.

  Unable to resist, Beth put her ear to the door. Elsie’s voice was low pitched but Beth could hear her quite clearly.

  “Why are you tormenting me like this, Geoff? I know you fancy me, don’t deny it.”

  “For Christ’s sake, woman, get off me.” There was the sound of shuffling and then Geoffrey said, “I don’t fancy you, you silly old cow, how many more times do I have to tell you? Why can’t you get it through your head?”

  “You kissed me.”

  “I was pissed out of my brain, I thought you were too. You’re my next door neighbour, that’s all, now leave me alone.”

  “You led me on, told me you wanted me; promised you’d buy me a diamond bracelet if I let you have your way with me.”

  “I never said that!” Geoffrey almost howled.

  Beth found herself grinning. She imagined Geoffrey crouched up in the corner of the stockroom like a cornered rat scrabbling to get away from his admirer. Serves you right, she thought. Now you know how it feels to be hounded. Elsie was launching into another tirade.

  “I’ll be honest with you, Geoff,” Elsie was saying, “I don’t want you either, I’ve seen better carcasses hanging up in a butchers shop, but there’s the matter of the diamond bracelet you promised me. So I’m going to keep my side of the bargain and if you don’t come good on the bracelet I’m going to be telling Veronica that I caught her randy old man shagging little miss perfect in the stockroom.”

  “Bloody hell, woman,” Geoffrey moaned.

  Beth bit her lip. Thanks for that, Elsie, she thought. There was the sound of shuffling and panting and then Geoffrey grunted a couple of times. About thirty seconds went by and then Geoffrey said, “Okay? Satisfied? Now leave me alone, I’ll get you a sodding bracelet but we’re done, you got what you came for, I don’t want anything more to do with you.”

  “You bloody liar, you loved it, you’ve been panting after me for weeks.” She chuckled. “I saw you the other day watching me though a hole on the fence while I was sunbathing.”

  “That wasn’t me, it was the bleeding gardener, you stupid demented bag. Why would I have any interest in spying on your saggy old flesh? Now leave me alone Elsie, I need time to get over what you just made me do.”

  Beth could imagine Geoffrey sweating in panic. He couldn’t have expected Elsie’s next words.

  “You know, Geoff, I wish you’d stop calling me Elsie, it’s not my name.”

  “Of course it is, what are you blathering about? I’ve heard your sister yelling to you in the garden.”

  “She does it to wind me up. My name’s Elsbeth, Beth for short.”

  There was silence for a few moments then Geoffrey roared, “Goddamn!”

  Beth put her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide, and quickly made her way back to the shop. She put on her jacket, her shift over. She needed to think.

  Shandra was making wishes come true, but they were twisted, unexpected, and suddenly she felt frightened. The old woman was manipulating people’s desires, taking the core of their wish and turning it into something dark and scary and Beth was beginning to realise now that Shandra had only granted her wish in a straightforward way because she needed a pliable naive fool like herself to carry out her dirty work, everyone else was at the mercy of the woman’s evil mind.

  None of what was happening made sense. The logical part of her brain kept telling Beth it was impossible, no-one could make wishes come true, the premise was straight out of a fairy tale but somehow Shandra seemed to be doing it. Whatever strange direction the wishes were taking they was happening as promised, one way or another.

  Beth could see Tim putting cups on a tray and a part of her wanted to warn him that whatever he’d asked for might not happen as he imagined, that his life could be about to get messy but why should he believe her? She had no proof, she hardly knew herself what was going on.

  “Beth?”

  Beth turned, Lane, one of the young girls helping out on works experience was holding out an envelope to her. “A woman dropped it in, asked me to give it to you.”

  Beth recognised the spidery handwriting immediately and her heart plummeted. “What did she look like?” She asked Lane.

  Lane shrugged her shoulders. “Ordinary.”

  “Was she tall, small, fat, thin, old young?” Beth felt like shaking the girl.

  “Thin, I think. She had a hat on, I didn’t really get a look at her face.” Her expression cleared suddenly, “She had a walking stick.”

  Chapter 8

  The letter lay on the kitchen table unopened. Every now and then Beth would glance at it and then look away. Whatever Shandra was playing at Beth didn’t intend to make it easy for her. Okay, so the woman had got her home address and knew where she worked. Big deal, that information was hardly a secret. How she’d found out was worrying but Beth thought one of her friends may have blabbed her business on Facebook, it wasn’t impossible. She wasn’t ready yet to accept that Shandra was a physic who could read people’s minds, make bad things happen but she thought she was getting there.

  The envelope looked grubby like the first one, another used stamp pasted on even though it had been hand delivered. Of course Beth knew it wasn’t meant to fool her.

  It was meant to frighten her.

  She was glad to be home from work. Tim’s shamefaced glances in her direction had made her feel guilty. She hadn’t told him to compromise himself; whatever he’d asked for was his business, nothing to do with her. She liked him, he was a decent
kind man, a good friend but that was all. She suspected he might be thinking of asking her out on a date and she didn’t want that; it would mean refusing which would make things awkward between them at work. Beth wished more men would be open to friendship instead of trying to take things further and spoiling an otherwise good relationship. She really hoped Tim would find someone on the dating sites he was always trolling around.

  It was one o’clock, time to put dinner on for her and Jason. Surely he wasn’t still in bed? She heard a thump and water running, her son might be morose and lazy but the boy was clean, if not in mind then in body. He’d recently purchase his first bottle of aftershave which he’d hidden from her under his piles of sports socks. Of course she’d found the bottle, it hadn’t been opened yet, he was saving it for a special occasion. Another quick rifle through the rest of the drawer didn’t produce the expected packet of condoms, it seemed the aftershave was adventurous enough for now.

  Beth had put off the dreaded parent child talk about sex. She’d thought about it when he was ten, then twelve, and now the internet had done what she hadn’t and she decided her son might probably know more about the birds and the bees than she did. It let her off the hook and for that she was grateful, if a little ashamed that she hadn’t stepped up.

  Should really have been a job for daddy, Beth thought and grimaced. For a second Lawrence’s face appeared in front of her and she blinked the image away. Didn’t need you then and don’t need you now, she thought. It wasn’t easy being a single parent. It came down to taking one day at a time and hoping for the best. And her best was good enough, she had to believe that.