by David Woods
He slowed down as the cottage came into view and crept slowly nearer, ducking behind a low hedge to stay still and listen, but all he could hear was the rustling of leaves in the hedge. He stared at the cottage, remembering his last visit to rescue Anna, and once again he felt angry and determined to kill the man for violating her. His pulse raced as his hatred mounted new heights, he gritted his teeth and moved forward silently to the side of the building, stopping to listen again. Nothing but the creaking of the timbers and rustle of leaves could be heard, so he moved slowly to the back of the cottage, and nearly bumped into a car well hidden under tree branches and bushes.
This discovery convinced him Venk could be inside so he moved slowly back along the side, knowing there was no rear entrance, until he reached the front and crawled by the front doorway to listen. The door had gone years ago, the frame was falling off the wall, and all that was audible was the creaking of broken windows. He crept inside and stood still to think of the best place for Venk to hide and decided the upper bedroom must be favourite. The stairs were just visible so he moved quietly towards the bottom step, trying not to step on the rubbish, the stairs creaked slightly as he climbed one at a time to the top and then crouched just outside the door to listen again.
Brian hoped Venk would be asleep, so when he felt certain of this he carefully opened the door, which creaked loudly, and there came a rustling sound from inside. Suddenly a powerful torch shone in Brian’s face and temporarily blinded him. He heard a loud scream as something hit him on the head and the torch glanced off his forehead, shattering as it crashed against a wall. Brian fell forward on his hands and knees with stars flashing before his eyes, he felt someone run past and heard a crash as Venk fell down the stairs. He sat still, blinking his eyes to regain some sight, and after a minute he recovered and struggled to his feet. He walked slowly to the door and heard a grunting sound from below as Venk was trying to get up.
His vision improved as he walked unsteadily down the stairs, and saw a figure lurch uneasily out of the front door. He listened, then ran quickly out to avoid being hit as he passed through and just as a figure disappeared round the side of the cottage towards the car. He ran after him and stopped a few yards from the car, it was quiet and suddenly he heard a rustling and crashing sound from beyond the vehicle, so he followed and saw Venk struggling through a bush and disappearing beyond. He ran after him again but tripped on a broken branch. He recovered and in the moonlight saw the man running across an open field, and continued to follow in case he disappeared again. Brian found he was gaining slowly, and was within twenty yards when Venk ran into a copse of tall trees. It was dark and the breeze caused the trees to rustle and the branches creak loudly. He stopped to listen, and on hearing twigs breaking to his right, he carried on but what he thought was a small copse turned out to be a large area of woodland. The two men crept through it for hours, Brian moved slowly forward each time he heard a noise in front of him.
Brian stood for a while thinking and trying to work out which direction they were travelling in. He could see the edge of the wood through a clearing and when he walked across, saw he was nearer to the old cottage than when they had first entered the forest. He guessed Venk was trying to return to his car, so he left the woodland and crossed the field again. He reached the road within five minutes and ran towards the cottage, slowing down just before entering the gateway. Then he walked slowly towards a clump of young trees, from which position he could see the front and side of the cottage, with the car hidden towards the back. There was no other way of getting the car out and Brian had worked out which way Venk would return, so he stayed hidden for an hour but wondered if Venk had lost his nerve and decided not to come back. He was about to give up as dawn was beginning to break when he heard a twig snap about fifty yards to his left. He stayed very still watching as Venk slowly emerged from a gap in the hedge, creeping forward and looking around wildly. He was only a short distance away when he stopped to listen. Brian’s heart thumped, his whole body tense but he kept still as Venk moved towards the cottage, and when he was only ten yards away leapt out in front of him, crouching and ready to attack. His muscles were all tense and he said in a low voice. “Venk you bastard, I’m going to kill you for what you did to my wife.”
Venk screamed and launched himself headlong at Brian, who just managed to dive sideways in time. Both men leapt to their feet and faced each other. Brian stared into Venk’s white face, his eyes were bloodshot and saliva dripped from the corner of his mouth. “You killed your wife, didn’t you? And now you are going to die.”
Venk made a funny noise in his throat and pitched himself forward again, punching wildly and catching Brian a glancing blow just above his eye. He recovered quickly, landing a blow at Venk who fell rolling over on to his back kicking, catching Brian’s leg and putting him of balance for a second. Venk got up and the two men faced each other again, both panting and ready to strike. Venk came forward and struck Brian’s shoulder, but he weaved to one side and landed a powerful blow to Venk’s jaw, making him reel backwards and drop to his knees. Brian dived on him, pinning him down with his knees firmly planted on his shoulders. Venk looked up and stared into his eyes and Brian said. “Right you horrible bastard. You’re about to die.” Venk made a strange gurgling noise and Brian slapped his face. “You’re going to die the way your ex-wife did. I’m going to beat you to death.” He pulled him up, drew his arm back to smash his face when suddenly Venk’s body went limp, he sagged to the ground and started to cry like a baby.
Half sitting, half kneeling, he looked up at Brian with tears streaming down his face, his body quivered and shook, then he fell forward on to his face wailing, moaning and crying.
Brian was taken aback and stood wondering if this was just an act or a man with a tormented mind, but after a while decided it was genuine and felt guilty about wanting to kill him. Venk curled himself up in a ball, still shaking and sobbing pitifully and Brian thought he heard him mention, in between sobbing, a name something like Heidi, but was not certain.
By this time Brian had lost all thoughts of revenge, and looked down on the wreck of a man with pity and guilt. He knelt down, gently picked him up, cradling him like a baby, and carried him to the cottage, up the stairs and sat him on a bed. He still cried and bent forward, with his head buried between his knees. Brian did not know what to do. He knew the man needed treatment quickly and the police had to be summoned, but not by him. They might be suspicious of a foreign person, so he decided there was only one course of action. He ran downstairs to Venk’s car, searched the boot for a tow rope and found several lengths of cord. These will be ideal he thought, and ran back up to the bedroom to find Venk had not moved and was still crying. He tied his arms to the head rail, making him as comfortable as possible, laid the sleeping bag over his legs and then searched his pockets for a handkerchief to wipe his stained face. He took one more look, satisfied he could do no more and left the cottage, running down the road to his car.
It was a bright morning and the sun, having just risen above the horizon, shone in his eyes, making driving to the nearest village difficult. He found a public telephone and rang Jan, who sounded sleepy, answering after what seemed like a long wait. “Jan, I’ve found Venk.”
Jan immediately woke up. “Where?”
“In the old cottage.”
“Have you killed him?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because the man is very sick.”
“All the more reason to kill him and put him out of his misery.”
“That may be so, but I think he should be kept alive.”
“Ok. What do you want me to do?”
“Go out to a phone box and ring the police in Gent, Tell them where he is, and to expect to find a very sick man.”
“I’ll do it right now. But what are you going to do?”
“Keep an eye on the cottage and make
sure he doesn’t escape.” He drove back to the cottage, parking further away in the wood he had walked through the previous night, covering the car with leaves and small branches to make sure it could not be seen from the road. He walked through the trees, found a large one quite near the cottage and climbed to a point where he had a clear view of the road and front of the cottage. He made himself comfortable by leaning against the tree trunk thinking about the man tied up in the cottage, and if only he had reported Anna’s experience, he might have had chance to recover his sanity. Now he had killed a woman, and was in a very bad way without much hope of recovery. Brian blamed himself.
Within half an hour a police car screeched to a halt outside the cottage, followed by two others. Brian watched as the officers surrounded the building, then there was a shrill whistle followed by men rushing at the door and disappearing inside. All became quiet until an ambulance approached unnecessarily sounding its siren, a policeman appeared at the door, walked to the ambulance and returned with a stretcher. Five minutes later Venk was carried out, covered with a red blanket. Brian could see his white face clearly, and consoled himself by hoping Venk would receive the appropriate treatment. One police car remained after the ambulance left, escorted front and rear by the other two cars. Brian heaved a sigh of relief and began climbing down the tree, keeping the trunk between him and the cottage, and hoping the policemen would be too busy inside to notice him. Fifteen minutes later he was back at his car feeling very tired and hungry.
Arriving home twenty- five minutes later, Brian rang Anna who was overjoyed by the sound of his voice. On hearing the news she felt relieved that he had not killed the man and hoped it was all over. Brian rang off, feeling shattered as he went into the kitchen to make a thick sandwich, eating it as he climbed the stairs to shower and then go to bed. He was awoken a couple of hours later by Anna, who had been driven home by Caroline, and the two girls sat on the bed to hear Brian’s story.
He told them every detail and they agreed never to tell anyone how Venk was captured. Caroline said she would inform Ben and Jan, and then putting her arm around his naked shoulder, she kissed Brian before leaving him to rest. Anna showed her out, thanking her for her help and support. She ran back to Brian who by this time was fast asleep, and decided to leave him in peace.
Brian awoke at lunch time and sat up in bed mulling over the events of the past few years, which had been both exciting and dangerous at times, but very rewarding. He thought how different his life would have been if he had not found those diamonds. They would have had to sell the farm and he would probably be milking cows for someone else. A very dull life, and what is more to the point, he would not have met Anna that would have been tragic. He thought about the future, feeling confident Caroline, Ben and Jan would keep the secrets of the past, and now it was all over perhaps they could get on with their lives without worrying about being found out. He thought about Venk and decided he was no threat, as in his mental state no one would believe him. Brian’s thoughts were soon interrupted by Anna bringing a tray of food. She smiled at seeing him sitting up in bed. “I did not think you could sleep through lunch.”
“What a welcome sight. A beautiful woman carrying food.” She put down the tray, took of her skirt and slippers and climbed into bed beside him. He kissed her. “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.”
She giggled. “You can eat this food and then start on me.”
The next morning the newspapers carried the story on the front page, telling how the police were tipped off by an anonymous telephone call. There were pictures of the old cottage and Venk’s car. Inside there were articles on his background and theories as to how he was caught, but none of them remotely accurate. Brian and Anna read the paper together and laughed at some of the ideas, when Anna put the paper down suddenly and looked at Brian. “I want to have a baby.”
“I’d like you to have a baby now we can feel more secure.” They cuddled and spent a quiet day at home.
Venk was declared insane and unfit to face trial, his utterances since he was taken from the cottage total gibberish and unintelligible. The court ordered him to be detained in a secure hospital indefinitely, and for a while he was put in a padded cell. One day a visitor arrived and was allowed to see him. Heidi, shocked to see the change in his appearance, brought him flowers and talked to him, which seemed to bring some life back to his face. She was his only visitor and always tried to bring flowers from her garden. He responded and lived for her visits, which she never failed to make. He had begun to secretly hope that one day he would be released and spend the rest of his life with her.
Chapter Twenty
Six months after Venk’s capture, Anna announced she was pregnant. They were living in the much enlarged flat in Kent at the time, which had become their permanent base, with the couple running the company from the office in Maidstone. John and Betty were delighted to hear they would soon become grandparents, and preparations were quickly agreed upon to convert the one remaining spare room into a nursery. Anna took more time off work and Betty enjoyed fussing over her and going out on shopping trips.
The company had progressed well with machines being manufactured in Kent and Belgium. Exhibiting at the Smithfield Show proved very successful, orders were taken for equipment to be sent all over the British Isles and Europe, with one consignment of forage harvesters sold to a farm in East Germany. Sales were at record levels with profits being ploughed back into the business to provide more manufacturing capability. Brian and Anna had become quite wealthy and had every material comfort, which increased their already considerable happiness. They managed to spend more time enjoying themselves and less time working.
Brian sat in his office one morning studying sales forecasts when the intercom rang. “There’s a man here to see you. He says he’s from the Ministry,” said the receptionist.
“Right send him up.” Brian’s secretary showed the man in and Brian found himself shaking hands with a pale faced slightly built gentleman in his mid- thirties, with grey eyes and wearing a dark suit. He introduced himself as Philip Hawkins and Brian pulled up a seat. “And what can I do for the Ministry?”
“Well Mr. Wilkins, we’d like your help with a delicate matter.”
“Oh, and what is this delicate matter?”
“Before I tell you, let me explain what happened three months ago.”
“Ok. fire away.”
“A man was detained smuggling arms into Northern Ireland. His name is Vautrin.”
Oh my God, I’m finished, thought Brian, but managed to look composed. “Who the hell are you?”
“I work for a government department.”
“What department?”
“That’s not important. Just listen to what I’ve got to say.”
Brian felt stunned be this turn of events and found himself gripping the arms of his chair. The man’s grey eyes bore into him as he continued.
This man, Vautrin, is trying to bargain with us. He has an interesting story about a young couple who sold stolen diamonds and took them to Switzerland on a motorcycle.”
“Are you a policeman?”
“Not really.”
“What the hell do you mean, not really?”
“Mr. Wilkins, I’d advise you to listen to what I have to say.”
“Ok, go on then.”
“I’ve been doing some checking and about six years ago there was a jewel robbery in London. Two bags of valuable diamonds were stolen and never recovered. A few days later you travelled to France on a ferry, returning two weeks later to start your own company. “Where did the money come from Mr. Wilkins?”
“None of your bloody business!”
“But it is my business. And as far as we can gather you started with money from Switzerland.”
“So what the hell does that prove?”
“Enough to make me ask more questions. There were two other men inv
olved. One is called Venk. And you know where he is, don’t you?”
“No idea. You tell me.”
“He’s in a secure mental institution after killing his ex-wife.”
Brian just kept a blank expression, and the atmosphere in the office became electric as the two men stared at each other. Hawkins continued, his voice steady and without much expression. “Venk was captured in very mysterious circumstances about six months ago. It was no surprise to learn that you were in Belgium at the time.”
“You said there were two men involved. Who’s the other one?”
“I haven’t found out yet. I only know he’s Belgian.”
“You don’t know very much, do you?”
“I know a great deal about you and your wife.”
The last comment made Brian angry and he stood up. “You evil little bastard. You leave my wife out of it, or I’ll ring your bloody neck.”
Hawkins sat still and spoke slowly and deliberately. “Just like you did to poor old Venk?”
Brian sat down, still studying the man’s face. “What you have told me is a load of rubbish. All of it circumstantial and without a shred of proof.”
“I agree nothing can proved, yet.”
“So why are you telling me about it now?”
“Because I want to offer you a deal.”
“What kind of a deal?”
“You carry out a job for us and we’ll tear the file up.”
“And if I don’t agree?”
“I give the file to the police, who will follow it up.”
“But you have no proof.”
“Police will lean heavily on the two burglars, who’ll say where they left the diamonds. After which you and your wife will be detained for questioning.”
