by Bill Ward
Tom and Melanie had joined the tube train at Green Park a few carriages further back from Miller. They assumed Simpson was also on the train, probably nearer the front but they hadn’t seen him board. At Victoria they were carried from the train by the rush of people flocking towards the escalators. They had to wait their turn to join the bottom of the escalator and could see no sign of either Miller or Simpson.
Tom was secretly quite pleased that the danger seemed now to be well ahead of them. In the last few days he felt both he and Melanie had seen enough trouble to last a lifetime. So far luck had been with them but he didn’t feel like tempting fate again.
He knew every corner of Victoria station as it was the main London terminus from Brighton. As he emerged from the tube onto the busy hub of the station he took out his mobile, thinking to give Miller a call. He looked around the open expanse of the station but couldn’t spot either Miller or Simpson.
“Do you want a coffee?” Melanie asked, pointing to the nearby stand.
“Why not. I’ll have a Latte please,” Tom answered smiling. “I could do with warming up.”
Melanie searched in her pockets then smiled apologetically. “Sorry but could you lend me some money to buy them only I don’t have any on me? I think I left my bag at the hospital.”
Tom had to laugh. Melanie Adams was asking if she could borrow money from him. He found ten pounds in his wallet and handed it over.
While Melanie joined the short queue, Tom looked around the station. It was reasonably busy with people returning home after a night out. He was about to call Miller when he realized it might not be the best idea. At the worst it could even alert Simpson to Miller’s presence. He returned the phone to his pocket. He would call him a bit later if he hadn’t heard anything. After their coffees, he would suggest they head back to the Imperial again where they were planning to spend the night.
Tom spotted Taylor first as he strode across the concourse towards the ticket barriers, accompanied by three other men. Then he saw Miller emerge from some shadows to greet them. They conversed in a huddle and Miller pointed towards the Gatwick Express platform. It was a train Tom knew very well, as for large parts of the day, the Gatwick Express ran fast to Gatwick airport and then carried onto Brighton. It was normally the fastest train link between Brighton and London. He glanced up at the departure board and saw the next train was showing as delayed. He wondered if Simpson was on the train and Miller and the others were going to close in on him.
Tom turned in the direction of the Coffee stand as he heard a small commotion. He could see a handful of people gathering around Melanie and it was obvious she had been recognized. He watched how she smiled and chatted with both men and women, completely at ease. Not a trace of her superstar status. After a minute she picked up the two cups of coffee and rejoined Tom.
Simpson joined the train and took an aisle seat. It was surprisingly busy and a number of people were eating burgers and other takeaway food that filled the carriage with inviting aromas. He was starving and remembered he hadn’t eaten all day. Now he was safe, he knew the rumbling in his stomach was indicating hunger not nerves. He glanced at his watch. Only five minutes to departure time. Then he heard the announcement over the train’s speaker system apologizing for the fact the train would be delayed ten minutes waiting for a driver to join the train. He wasn’t too bothered as he wasn’t in any rush.
He had decided earlier in the day that he had had enough of being at the bidding of the damned Irish and it was time to retire. He had gone to Jones and announced his desire for early retirement, which was well received, as Jones had a need to reduce headcount and considered Simpson a bit of a dinosaur. He had outstanding holiday and it was agreed he could go away immediately and Human Resources would work out the details while he was abroad.
Simpson had then booked two flights. First he bought a ticket to Geneva early in the morning under a false name. He also booked a flight to Lanzarote under his own name early in the afternoon. If everything went according to plan he would take the Lanzarote flight. If anything went wrong as it had, he would take the early flight to Geneva, pay a visit to his safe deposit box and be ready to start a new life. There were sufficient funds in his Swiss account and the deposit box to pay for a comfortable retirement somewhere far away. Miller would be checking airports and would soon find his reservation for Lanzarote. He would probably lay in wait for him but by then he would already be in Geneva.
As he sat watching everyone eating, he remembered the Burger King just by the barriers and decided the delay afforded him plenty of time to get some much needed food. Although he enjoyed fine dining he also was perfectly happy with a large burger meal from time to time. Tonight it would be double portions of everything. He left the train and retraced his steps towards the ticket barrier.
A train had arrived at the next platform and the passengers were tumbling off and also heading for the ticket barriers. As he neared the exit he noticed a group of men on the other side of the barriers huddled together engrossed in conversation, right in front of the Burger King. He was through the barrier as the group split apart and he immediately recognized Taylor. Then he spotted Miller.
He spun on his heels and started walking away from the group towards the underground station. Where the hell had they come from? Did they actually know he was here or were they just checking all the stations? Fortunately, others were walking in the same direction and at least partially shielding him from Taylor and Miller’s view. As he walked, he expected to hear his name called and be ordered to stop but no challenge came. He accelerated his pace. He was outnumbered and knew he couldn’t outrun them. If they saw him he was dead. Gradually the distance between him and the danger increased. He was starting to feel a sense of euphoria that he was once again going to escape their clutches.
Tom looked back in the general direction of Miller and the others. He didn’t want to join Miller and interfere with whatever he was doing. He sipped on his coffee and turned back to Melanie. With a huge sense of foreboding, he then looked back again in Miller’s general direction at the man who had just come through the ticket barrier and was now heading in his direction. He was certain it was Simpson. Why the hell hadn’t Miller seen him? They were so engrossed in conversation no one had noticed he was slipping right past them.
“Don’t turn around,” Tom cautioned Melanie, “but Simpson is walking straight towards us.”
Tom could see Melanie was fighting the urge to take a look. He half turned himself so that he wasn’t clearly visible. He held the coffee cup to his lips as Simpson came near. There was nowhere really to hide. He was bound to see them shortly.
Tom spotted the moment when Simpson realized who he was approaching. He was about fifteen feet away. The revelation caused Simpson to stop mid stride and at the same time look behind, checking no doubt on the location of Miller. Melanie could tell from Tom’s look of concern that they had been spotted and turned to face Simpson.
Tom let out an enormous shout of “Miller” that was heard by everyone on the station. People nearby immediately started to move away to avoid him.
The scream seemed to confuse Simpson for a second. He looked back and locked eyes on Miller. Then he started to run.
Tom saw him drawing the gun from inside his jacket. Melanie reacted first and threw her coffee at the approaching Simpson catching him fully on the chest. The impact made the protective top fly off and hot coffee splashed all over him. A fair amount landed on his face and caused him to swear.
He raised his gun in Melanie’s direction and it was Tom’s turn to throw his cup. His aim was true and the cup hit Simpson fully on the chin and covered him in scolding coffee.
Simpson shrieked in pain and used both arms to desperately wipe the coffee from his face.
Tom could see Miller and the others running at full speed in their direction.
Simpson turned and fired wildly in their direction, causing them to throw themselves to the ground. The atmosphere i
n the station suddenly changed. The public panicked at the realization of what was happening. Some dived to the floor. Others ran away screaming. A few just stood with open mouths uncertain what to do, perhaps not believing the scene unfolding before their eyes.
In the midst of the chaos, Tom watched Simpson turn back towards him and Melanie. There was a look of pure malice in his eyes and Tom was sure he would happily kill them both. Simpson raised the weapon to fire and Tom threw Melanie to the ground, covering her with his body. He heard a single shot but felt no pain. Then he heard further multiple shots. He clung tightly to Melanie until the firing stopped but didn’t look up. He heard the sound of running feet approaching.
“You know you can get into trouble for that sort of behaviour in public,” Tom heard Miller say.
“Very funny,” a very relieved Tom responded and climbed off Melanie.
Miller held out his hand and helped pull Melanie to her feet. Tom reasoned he wasn’t going to get the same assistance so scrambled to his feet without help. He felt huge relief that once again lady luck seemed to have been on their side but he didn’t think he had many lives left.
A few feet away on the ground was the bloody body of Simpson. Tom knew it could easily have been him lying there. A crowd had started to gather and the police were keeping them at bay and telling them to go on home but they were standing transfixed by the sight of the dead body on the ground.
Taylor walked up to the dead body and covered Simpson’s face with his jacket. Tom turned away. Given the circumstances, he was glad Simpson was dead. Miller and his men had had no choice but to shoot him and it was just as well for Tom and Melanie their aim had been accurate. Tom didn’t understand what had made Simpson become the man he was but he had saved Tom’s life in Richmond Park and so couldn’t have been all bad.
“I have no idea what you two are doing here but thanks for your help,” Miller said. “You stopped him getting away.”
“Glad to be of assistance,” Tom responded smiling.
With hindsight Miller couldn’t believe how close Simpson had come to escaping. What the hell had made him get off the train? Perhaps having the train delayed set an alarm bell ringing. Whatever the reason, Miller recognized he should have been watching more closely. There would be no disguising that fact in his report. Questions would be asked but Miller wasn’t unduly bothered. Retirement was just around the corner. And nothing could take away the sense of satisfaction he was feeling. He was quite certain Brian Potter would be waiting to greet Simpson in the afterlife.
Miller laughed, “You are both deadly with a cup of coffee.”
“Years of training,” Tom retorted.
“Please don’t take this the wrong way,” Melanie stressed, “but I am getting fed up of meeting you.”
Miller smiled. “I don’t blame you.”
“You know I used to think England was a far safer place to live compared with back home. Every time I see Gwyneth, she goes on about what a great place London is to bring up a family. It hasn’t seemed so great the last week!”
“I know what you mean,” Miller concurred. The last week had indeed been mad. Fortunately it wasn’t atypical. He liked Melanie Adams he decided and Ashdown was okay also. He had shown a lot of courage more than once. He wondered if they would make it long term as a couple. He hoped so.
He would have to get one of her films out on DVD. They weren’t the sort of thing he normally watched but he reckoned Mary would enjoy it and he was definitely curious now he knew her, to see her acting.
“Can I get you some more coffee,” Miller offered.
“Actually,” Tom cut in, “I don’t know about anyone else but I need something a lot stronger then coffee!”
“I’m sorry,” Miller apologized. “But you will have to make do with coffee for the time being. I need to get statements from both of you. It’s going to be another long night.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Tom was both excited and nervous about the day ahead. He had been looking forward to it for over a month and as it came closer so his excitement had built. But now as the plane landed in Miami, he was also extremely nervous. The flight had gone well and he had enjoyed his first experience of flying first class.
He had almost forgotten he was on a plane, as he sipped champagne and enjoyed great food, while the cabin crew attended to his every wish. He had spotted one of his favourite female singers sitting across the aisle and they had exchanged pleasantries. She was doing some serious damage to the free champagne but he was taking it far easier. He didn’t want to arrive with a hangover. He had a big weekend ahead of him. He laughed at the absurdity that he now found it almost routine to be meeting a famous singer. His life had certainly changed dramatically since meeting Melanie.
This was his first visit to anywhere in the USA except Las Vegas and then he had spent most of his time in a huge hotel playing poker, with little time for sightseeing. As he left the aircraft cabin and stood at the top of the aircraft steps, he was hit by the warm temperature of the air. It felt almost tropical and the brilliant sunshine made him blink to adjust to the brightness. It was February and he had left behind a cold and miserable UK. There had been a scary few days leading up to his departure when snow had disrupted flights, leading to many cancellations and threatening to spoil his trip but thankfully he had taken off on time.
Tom went through passport control and collected his one large bag, purchased new for the occasion. The whole process took nearly an hour and then he was walking out of arrivals. He glanced around trying to spot his lift, which he had been assured would be waiting to collect him and there was his name being held aloft on a board.
He waved at the man and walked towards him. The driver was wearing a grey suite and a peaked cap. He looked every bit the chauffeur. He asked if it had been a good flight and Tom happily accepted his offer to take charge of the large suitcase. He followed the driver to the car park as he pulled the case behind him. The driver asked if it was his first visit and was generally amenable.
“Are you on holiday or business, Sir,” the driver asked pleasantly.
“Definitely holiday. I’m here to see the Super Bowl.”
“You got tickets?” the driver enquired not hiding the surprise in his voice. “They’re like gold dust.”
“I have,” Tom answered. “A very good American friend of mine is taking me.”
They spoke a little more about the upcoming game during the drive to the hotel. The driver didn’t hide his jealousy when Tom admitted it would be the first ever game he had seen.
“Who you gonna be supporting?” the driver asked.
“The Steelers. My friend is a huge fan and she got me the tickets.”
“Well enjoy it. It don’t get much better than a Super Bowl.”
They stopped outside the St Regis hotel and a bell boy came to take his bag. The taxi had been prepaid and the driver waved away the suggestion of a tip as Tom reached for his wallet.
Tom was shown to his room. It had a balcony and a view out to sea. It reminded him of Melanie’s suite at the Imperial, where they had first met properly. What if he had done the sensible thing and taken the train back to Brighton and never bothered to hang around in that coffee shop, hoping she would return his call? He doubted he would be here now. He glanced at his watch. In two hours he would see her for the first time in a month. He was excited to see her but nervous. Would she still feel the same about him?
After Simpson’s death they had spent a few memorable days together over Christmas and New Year. They had gone racing, sightseeing and spent time at the bedside of a much improved Colin. They had also spent a lot of time making love. Life had been as good for those few days as he could ever remember. She had stayed for his birthday on the tenth of January and his present from Melanie, was a trip to see the Super Bowl a month later.
Two days later, Tom had driven her to Heathrow. It was a difficult moment when they said their goodbyes. He didn’t want to go in with her and anyway sh
e would get the VIP treatment. They stood and kissed, then embraced with neither wanting to be the first to let go but eventually Tom had let her leave. He watched her back all the way to the terminal. She turned and waved one last time. He went back to his empty house and sank several large bottles of beer.
For the next few days everywhere he went, he was reminded of Melanie. The Hilton where they had spent so much time in bed, his house, all the sights of Brighton were reminders of good times.
He had been back once to his coffee shop in Patcham, where Rafiq had greeted him like a returning celebrity and refused to hear of him paying for his breakfast. All Rafiq could speak about was the time Tom had taken the wonderful Melanie Adams to his coffee shop. Tom remembered it well. They had sat quietly in a corner talking of the future over coffee. After about twenty minutes a buzz had gone around the place and it was obvious she had been recognized. Rafiq had emerged from the back to welcome her and ask for a photo of her in his café. Then others had wanted pictures and autographs. Melanie obliged everyone and as usual everyone seemed to love her. Tom had the feeling he would always be extra welcome in Rafiq’s café in future.
Even his betting shop only served to remind him of Melanie. She had visited for a second time towards the end of the day and after the other staff had left, they had gone to the back office and she had sat astride him only half undressed and frantically and noisily enjoyed him. Now each time he went in the office, the images of their love making were overpowering.
These were the places he spent his days and Melanie was still there in his memories. They had swapped messages and a few calls but the time difference and her hectic schedule since returning to the States had largely kept them apart. He had gone from spending a large part of each day with her to not seeing her for a whole month. He couldn’t help but be worried that now she had returned home, she would settle back into her normality and gradually forget about him.
