Hope Never Dies

by Mike Holden

  Haslam could not believe how easy it was to follow them. He saw them enter the concert arena. He knew that they were going to be in there some time, and made his way back to his car that was parked near to the girl’s. There was quite a lot of activity occurring as it was early evening but he hoped that it may quieten down. As the evening wore on with dusk falling, his luck was in and the car park became virtually deserted. He got the jack from his car and went over to the Audi. He had expected the car to be alarmed and he smashed a window. The alarm sounded very loudly. He returned to his car, keeping a low profile. As he suspected, the alarm caused no suspicion at all and after twenty minutes or so, it turned itself off. He returned to the Audi and jemmied the boot open. No bag. Therefore, it must be their house. Nothing to do now but wait. He settled down.

  Kim and Ned enjoyed the concert. The female American singer was on top form and belied her years. Kim enjoyed going to the theatre, cinema and concerts. Therefore, whenever possible Ned would arrange his visit so that there was something they could attend together and mutually enjoy. They came away from the arena in good spirits and had put the bag incident to the back of their minds and walked by to the car park in good mood. That is until Kim saw her car. The alarm was again sounding and they found the boot open and the passenger window smashed. She was distraught.

  “What are you doing?” she asked Ned.

  “Calling the police,” he replied lifting his mobile to his ear.

  Help! I need somebody. Help, not just anybody. Help, I need somebody now!

  “They won’t come at this time for this type of crime. Trust me, I’m a lawyer.”

  She was right. Ned was fobbed off and was told to call at the police station tomorrow to make a formal complaint. They were informed of a garage that was open late which would make emergency repairs to temporarily secure the car. On the way there, Kim said

  “I know who did this of course”

  “Who?”

  “It’s quite obvious, the guy whose money we happen to possess and it would be difficult for us to inform the police”

  He felt he had to agree. The car was temporarily repaired and they returned to Kim’s apartment, both in very sombre mood and still unaware that were still being followed. Ned conceded that he would be most unlikely to be able to coax Kim into a romantic mood and into his bed tonight. He made some hot chocolate for both of them and they retired to their separate rooms.

  “Goodnight, sweet Kim” he said quietly to her, “And remember, if you feel the urge to come into my room in the night, don’t resist or you’ll regret it forever.”

  She smiled that beautiful smile at him and blew him a kiss.

  CHAPTER 4

  DAY 2

  Haslam followed them to their apartment from the city centre. He was such a distance behind them that he was unable to follow them through the barrier into their protected car parking area. He had exercised patience a number of times today and once more would make no difference. He did not have to wait very long before another car came to the barrier. Haslam followed him in and drove around the car park until he found the white Audi. His luck must really be in as each apartment had its own car-parking place and the apartment number designated on it. Number 305. Good. He had never done any housebreaking before and did not know what to take as weapons. He chose the wheel jack again as it had done him well earlier. Making his way to the lift, he summoned one, which came quickly and soon found that the apartment was on the third floor.

  Leaving the lift, he soon found the third floor to his left. He listened at the door and heard no noise. Not wanting any violent confrontations, he decided to undertake the task of breaking through the lock as quietly as possible and that took him a little longer than he expected.

  *

  Ned thought that his dreams had come true when a short while later, she came rushing into his room, clad in only a short and revealing purple nightie. She looked even more ravishing standing there, revealing almost all. Paul’s voice came immediately to mind, She looked at me, and I, I could see, by the way she looked was way beyond compare, I’ll never dance with another, when I saw her standing there. He normally slept naked and still shot out of bed when Kim ran into the room, very distraught. She did not even notice.

  “There’s a burglar trying to break through the door,” she said. Ned listened and could here sounds coming from the door. He quickly got dressed. Kim ran and put on a long t-shirt.

  “Have you any weapons?” he asked as they ran quietly into the kitchen. She opened a cupboard and he selected a large mop whilst she chose a frying pan. They waited behind the kitchen door. Soon the front door burst open and they saw a fattish middle-aged man come rushing in. Ned hit him with the mop but it had no effect on him and he retaliated with swinging the jack at Ned, catching him on the forearm and knocking him backwards to the floor.

  “I want my money,” He shouted building himself up into a frenzy.

  “What money?” Ned shouted back

  “The bag you stole from me at the restaurant”

  Without a chance to answer he grabbed the pan from Kim, and put her in a neck lock. He looked at Ned

  “Get it now or your little girl friend won’t look so pretty”, he shouted, threatening her with the jack. Ned would do anything to prevent Kim from being hurt.

  “Okay, okay” he said. “Don’t do anything silly and I’ll go and get the money for you.” He left the lounge to go into the bedroom to retrieve the bag. As he was reaching for it, he heard a commotion in the kitchen and rushed in expecting the worst. What he saw amazed him. The fat guy was prostrate on the floor with Kim standing over him with the jack in her hand. Ned approached him and kicked him the balls, saying that he had picked the wrong people to mess with. Standing over him, Kim and Ned entered whispered conversation as to what to do with him. For reasons they previously discussed, they decided against bringing in the police and they concluded that they had no alternative but to let him go. But not without roughing him up a little first to ensure that he got the message. This time it was Kim’s turn to kick him in the balls and stomach before ordering him to stand up. They manhandled him out of the apartment, down the lift and through the security door, before throwing him to the ground. You say hello and I say goodbye.

  “And don’t bloody come back” shouted Ned as Haslam landed heavily on the floor.

  “I’ll be back and next time I won’t be alone,” he replied, wandering out into the road.

  Once back at the apartment, both began literally to shake. Ned held Kim tightly and gently guided her to his bedroom. She did not object and he gently helped her under the duvet. He slipped in beside her and took her into his arms. Again she did not object but he knew that anything further would not be appreciated. They lay arm in arm for some time before Ned spoke.

  “You’re not safe here. We’ll have to move you out tomorrow.”

  “Where though?” she answered.

  “Let’s sleep on it and decide in the morning.”

  They did not know it then, but events would unfold before they could do so.

  CHAPTER 5

  Haslam was so incensed at this humiliation particularly from the Chinese bird that he vowed severe retribution particularly to her. It seemed that the retrieval of his money was now secondary. However, he must change his priorities and get the money back first. She would be seen to later. Now, where was his car? He had left it in the secured car park and at this hour of the night, he had a very small chance of retrieving it. There was a shopping complex nearby with evening entertainment. Perhaps there would be a taxi. The short walk cleared his head. A new plan of action was now being formulated. His luck was in and he found a taxi almost immediately. He told the driver to take him to Warner Street, just outside the city centre. His company’s offices were located there, but he ensured that the taxi driver took him to the other end of the
street. Once there he deliberately broke in, even though he had a key to the door in his pocket. He was becoming suddenly adept at breaking and entering. The alarm sounded and he knew he would be receiving a phone call from the security company very soon, as he was the first to receive the emergency calls. Within five minutes, it came on his mobile phone.

  “Thanks for informing me” he said,” I happen to be only two minutes away and I’ll go there right away” He switched off his phone.

  He had a few minutes to set the scene. He threw papers around the floor, knocked a computer screen off a desk and kicked out the back of the safe. He had previously fixed the safe so that he could gain access privately and without any other person knowing, or so he thought. That was the way he was able to take the money in the first place.

  He now picked up the office phone and dialled 999 for the police. He got through very quickly

  “I want to report a burglary”

  “My name? Neil Haslam, Finance Director of Sapphire Computers Ltd” and he named the location

  “I think I can identify the thieves” He listened to the response.

  “Thank you. I’ll be waiting here”

  Just a short few minutes later, a police car with lights flashing came into the street. Two young constables came into the office through the smashed door, quickly looking at the mess. They introduced themselves and asked Haslam to explain what had happened.

  “I happened to be close by when I received a call from the security company that the alarm was going off. Just as I came round the corner, I saw two people rushing out of the office, get into a car and drive off very quickly. They actually passed me. When I got into the office I noticed that it was in disarray and that the safe had been broken into. There is no money there now”

  “How much was in the safe?” asked one of constables

  “At least a quarter of a million” replied Haslam

  “Did you get a good look at those two people and the car?”

  “Yes, I did, as a matter of fact. The car was a white Audi and I even managed to remember the registration, MU09XLK. The driver was a female, a young woman of oriental appearance, I believe, possibly Chinese and her accomplice was quite elderly, white and fair-haired. Oh, and one other matter, the man was carrying a black bag, presumably with the money inside.” Haslam felt good at remembering to mention this. The police would concentrate their efforts on looking for the bag.

  The policeman thanked him and told him that that a special unit would call tomorrow to make a forensic examination. In the meantime he was to secure the building and touch nothing. They left soon afterwards. The plan was working so far, he thought to himself, and I shall soon have the money back tomorrow. He now had to find the extra £25,000 and he knew that this was in another safe where he knew the combination.

  *

  Back in the car, the two constables could hardly believe their luck that so much information had been supplied to them and they reported their findings back to the station. They quickly received details of the car and found out that the owner of it was Chinese or possessed a Chinese name and lived at the Quays.

  “Shall we pay her a visit, sarge?” asked one of them.

  “In view of the amount of money involved, this is being passed to CID, but make your way there and report for further instructions.” They did.

  *

  Detective Sergeant Terry Kingsly and Detective Constable Hannah Beaumont were on duty that particular evening and were made aware of the robbery at Sapphire Computers. They were regularly on the night shift because it was quieter and although neither of them had realised it, they were regularly assigned there because they were not exactly the brightest pair in the department. Kingsly, however, knew that his police career would not extend to very many promotions and therefore his conscientiousness was seen as questionable to his superiors. Hannah Beaumont, on the other hand was still young, as she perceived herself, a couple of years to go before her thirtieth birthday. She would not describe herself as particularly pretty but had little difficulty in attracting men. She had gone through plenty in her time but, in her view, the wrong sort and none of her relationships lasted very long. Some of her affairs had pre-occupied her to the extent that she did not always concentrate fully on her job. There was no man her life at the moment and she felt that if she worked hard enough, she might cause her superiors to have a change of mind about her. Tonight her auburn hair was swept back from her forehead into a ponytail that reached just beyond the nape of her neck. Her attire was a thin black sweater and blue jeans. If forced, they would admit that they could always do better, as a school report would say. The topic of conversation was the usual, Kingsly was a Blue and now taunted Hannah, knowing that she was a United supporter, that City were going to be the biggest team in the land. Hannah said that he was talking crap as usual.

  The briefing from the duty sergeant was received with unusual enthusiasm, mainly because it seemed quite straightforward with very little to do. On the face of it, as far as they could see, there had been a robbery, the perpetrators had been described in detail, had now been identified and the home address was known. All they had to do was to pay them a visit, arrest them and return the loot.

  Kingsly looked at Hannah “This is going to be a piece of cake. Go and get a warrant sorted out while I finish my tea.”

  They, then made their way into the cool night air, got into the unmarked police car. Manchester was quiet at this time of night, the way they both preferred and they soon arrived at the Quays. The apartment block was not the easiest to gain access and they had to park at one end of the shopping centre and walk along the quayside for a few hundred yards. A squad car was parked nearer to the entrance and the two constables got out once they recognised Kingsly and Beaumont.

  “Sarge!” said Constable Scott, the tall dark haired policeman, “We have had a quick look around the building and spoken to the concierge. There are three possible exits, a fire escape at the other end of the building and two exits from the lift, one through the main foyer and through the main doors and the other a floor below directly to the car park. We have looked there and the Audi is parked there now.”

  “Good” replied Kingsley, “One of you go to the bottom of the fire escape and the other into the foyer in case they make a mad dash for freedom. Come on, Han, let’s go and catch ourselves two thieves”

  CHAPTER 6

  Both Kim and Ned slept only sporadically after the incident earlier in the evening and because of the proximity of Kim, Ned’s sexual bits were in a state of excitement. He looked at Kim, who now, was asleep judging by the regular and deep breathing being emitted. Unkind folks might call it snoring, but not Ned. He gently put his arms around her. Instead of a protest, she simply snuggled up to him, still asleep.

  Kim had offered no resistance to Ned when he placed her gently into his bed and she had secretly hoped that he would do something like this. Although she was not mindful for any lovemaking, she wanted him to be near to her. Ever since he lay down besides her, she could tell that he was somewhat apprehensive and, when he put his arms around her, she pretended to be asleep as she moved her body next to his, a sign that she was relaxed with the situation. She now fell into a contented sleep.

  However, that sleep did not last very long and was interrupted by a heavy banging on the front door. They both shot up from the pillows with a startle.

  Kim whispered, “He’s back with his mates”

  “We’ve got to ring the police now, we don’t have a choice” replied Ned. The banging continued. He leapt up and began to head for the lounge where he had left his mobile phone. As he got into the corridor he heard a muffled sound from outside the door. As he moved nearer to the door, the shouting became clearer,

  “Open up now, it’s the police”

  He looked through the security flap in the door and saw a man and a woman, l
ooking very agitated. The man, not very tall with receding hair and looking something akin to Columbo without the raincoat looked around fifty years old although Ned perceived him to be older than himself. The woman was much younger, late twenties, could be attractive if she paid a little more attention to herself.

  Ned shouted back, “Prove it”

  All the commotion had brought Kim from the bedroom, now dressed in sweater and jeans, and she asked what was going on. Ned was still looking through the security flap, but this time at two identity cards that were being flashed to him.

  “It’s the police,” he said to her. She moved towards the door and opened it very carefully. The man spoke

  “I’m Sergeant Kingsly and this is Detective Constable Beaumont. May we come in?”

  “Of course” replied Kim. They all moved in to the lounge and the two detectives were invited to be seated.

  Kingsley said, looking at Kim, “Are you Mei-Zing Chen?”

  “Yes” she replied. Looking at Ned, he said “And who are you?”

  “Ned White, but my formal name is Edward”

  He now faced Kim again, “Can you please tell me your whereabouts between 2am and 4am this morning?”

  She replied “We were here”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Of course I’m sure”

  “Were you out this evening at all?”

  “We were at a pop concert”

  “And what time did you arrive back here?”

  “Soon after midnight. Isn’t that right, Ned?”

  He replied “Yes, about then”

  “Miss Chen” he asked, “What sort of car do you drive?”

  “An Audi”

  “What colour?”

  “White”

  “What is the registration of your car?”