by Stan Mason
He thought about the prospect for a while and began to look at her in a new light. He liked Peachey. She was attractive, gentle, soft, and he felt comfortable with her. It wasn’t such a bad idea after all!
Over the following week, he visited Peachey every evening to discover she was a delightful, natural person, without affectation, and with many simple interests. Her husband had died of a heart attack five years earlier and, as a quiet unassuming person, she had crawled into a shell, keeping herself to herself. The visits from Gideon coloured her life considerably for she liked the man very much, although she was less than confident that he would continue his relationship with her. From her point of view, the scenario was patently obvious. Millie would return the following week and he would go back to her, despite her infidelity and deceit. There was only one way to alter destiny. She had to make him realise her value to him... as a person far more dear to him than a friend. One evening, she prepared a sumptuous meal for him which they ate by candlelight, making certain he had more than enough wine to drink. Afterwards, they sat casually on the sofa near the fireplace, enjoying the warmth from the flames. Suddenly, she leaned forward and kissed him gently on the cheek. At first, the expression on his face showed complete surprise and he became rather embarrassed. Then, shrugging it aside, he took her firmly in his arms to kiss her on the lips, the neck and the shoulders many times with dozens of tiny kisses. A new world had opened up to him and he didn’t want it to escape. All the passion and excitement which had been absent for such a long time returned at speed in full flush. Not surprisingly, he stayed the night, enjoying the pleasure of her company and sleeping in her arms.
The following morning, at breakfast, he approached Peachey with the inkling of an idea gnawing at the back of his mind.
‘Would you be prepared to go on a journey with me... abroad?’ he ventured. ‘No strings attached, I promise.’
She felt she had committed herself so deeply there was no point in holding back now. ‘Of course,’ she replied precociously. ‘And I’ll tell you something else... I don’t care if there are strings attached.’
A plan was beginning to unfold in his mind. He was determined to find a way of dealing with Millie legally and forever. But he had to be extremely careful. If his wife knew he was scheming against her, she would seek the harshest revenge possible. After all the years of marriage to her, Gideon knew of one terrifying flaw in her character... utter vindictiveness! Millie would show no mercy if someone tried to harm her. Her star sign was Scorpio and she would sting her opponent to the bitter end! Somehow he needed to devise a plan whereby he would escape scot-free after closing her in a steel trap. But how? What could he do? His mind moved in circles as he returned to the jeweller... then the light dawned at the end of the tunnel and he congratulated himself on finding the answer!
The jeweller had done his work well. He had pulled out all the stops to fulfil the second condition. It was hardly surprising as he would reap a small fortune for himself from the strange deal. When Gideon opened the jewellery case, he could hardly believe his eyes. Every single piece of jewellery was located in exactly the same position as before, and it all looked original. The false rings, necklaces, bracelets, pearls and brooches were sheer masterpieces.
‘Are you sure these are the fakes?’ he asked indelicately.
‘If they’re not then I’m in grave financial difficulties,’ laughed the jeweller, handing him a Banker’s Draft for fifty thousand pounds. ‘That’s what we agreed, isn’t it?’
Deyoung nodded and took the draft with an expression of satisfaction on his face. If Millie knew his future had been assured by means of her affairs with other men... instead of her own... she would have flown into a frenzy. But her feelings hardly mattered now. The Banker’s Draft and the money he had saved over the years was quite sufficient to see him through the rest of his life, provided he continued to live at a relatively modest level. He locked the jewellery case and telephoned The Jewellery Store where Frank Seberg was employed. Masquerading as a relation trying to get in touch with Seberg urgently regarding the death of his aunt, he discovered the resort and the hotel at which Millie was staying in Tenerife. The trap was now set!
That evening, he went to Peachey and asked her to pack her suitcase for the trip. He related his plan to her, hoping she wouldn’t resent meeting Millie, or change her mind about her involvement with him. To his relief, she remained totally committed and the next day they flew together to Tenerife. His fear of flying was far outweighed by his vengefulness, and he wasted no time finding the hotel at which his wife was staying, booking accommodation there for Peachey and himself. After they had unpacked, he descended to the area around the swimming pool and scanned the sea of bodies until he came across Millie sunbathing on a beach mattress. Beside her lay her paramour, Frank Seberg. Millie wasn’t wearing her wedding ring but it was obvious the jeweller cared little whether she was married or not. Gideon took it all very casually, first taking Peachey to the bar where they had a long cool drink. After that, they walked out to the pool and stood over Millie causing a shadow to cut off the sun. She opened her eyes and looked up in annoyance to determine the reason, then she leapt to her feet as recognition came about, vigorously pushing the shoulder of her paramour to waken him.
‘What the hell are you doing here?’ she challenged, deciding it was in her best interests to take the offensive.
‘You said you were going to Tenerife with Peachey,’ replied Gideon quietly. ‘Well you seem to have left her behind so I decided to set the record straight and bring her here to join you.’
Needless to say, Millie was not amused. She ranted and raved about his actions, accusing him of stalking her like a miserable sleuth. He was inundated with allegations that he mistrusted her, had conducted himself in a sneaky and underhanded manner, and had acted most deceitfully, giving her every reason to do as she desired. Gideon couldn’t quite understand the logic of some of her arguments but, in any case, he was immune to her tirade. He cared nothing for her feelings of guilt on being discovered with another man, or any of her feeble excuses. The steel trap was about to close. Nothing else mattered to him.
When Millie had changed her clothes and returned to tell him some cock-and-bull story, he surprised her by declaring a truce. In the clearest of terms, he explained to her that she was not to be concerned about committing adultery. He recognised she was an extrovert with a far wider capacity for enjoying life than he did, and he would not stand in her way of continuing relationships with other men, although he intended to discuss the matter at length during dinner. Millie was astonished by his attitude. Gideon was so soft... such a fool... so naive! But why should he forgive her and let her continue having affairs with other men? There had to be a sting in the tail! Of one thing she knew... Gideon might be very docile for most of his life but when he lashed out it was time for everyone to duck!
Dinner was an uneasy affair. Millie, Frank, Peachey and Gideon met in the hotel dining-room and shared a table in a most civilised manner. Gideon brought a plastic bag with him containing the jewellery case, placing it on the floor at a corner of the table near to his left foot. In due course, he told Millie that while he was willing to close his eyes to the present state of affairs, they could not be allowed to continue indefinitely. He offered to let her to divorce him, relating that his plan was to live with Peachey in the future. Although Millie’s opinion of her husband was extremely poor, she was less than pleased to learn of his intention to live with her old friend. It went very much against the grain! However, Deyoung had baited the trap in many ways. For a start, he was nothing if not generous. The mortgage on their house had almost been paid off, and he offered to settle the balance and transfer the property into her name so that she could keep it for herself. It was an excellent settlement in view of her unreasonable behaviour but an equitable arrangement for them all. Even though the negotiations seemed to be going well, Frank Seberg ap
peared less than comfortable,
‘By the way,’ asked Millie. ‘Did you put the jewellery case in my safe-deposit box at the bank?’
‘No, I didn’t,’ replied Gideon. ‘You forgot to tell me the name of your bank. You were in too much of a hurry. But don’t concern yourself because I’ve brought it here with me.’
Millie stared at him with a puzzled expression on her face. ‘You brought it here with you?’ she repeated incredulously.
‘Yes, I didn’t want you to worry.’ He handed her the key and then reached down to retrieve the plastic bag. ‘Here you are. Safe and sound!’
‘But how can I get them back through Customs?’ she asked.
Gideon shrugged casually. ‘On the way out, I showed British Customs all the jewellery. I said that either you or Frank would be bringing them back. Your names are on their computer so you’ll have to declare it when you get arrive back in Britain. But it’s all academic. I mean, the stuff isn’t worth anything. You told me so yourself. Just sentimental value you said.’
She glowered at him without response, cursing him in silence for being such a fool, but drawing comfort that she would be rid of him shortly. The trouble was that British Customs would realise the jewellery was real and would want to know how she managed to acquire such a valuable collection... .asking for receipts. Her explanation... the truth... would hardly be acceptable to them. Even worse, they would charge her a massive amount of duty... perhaps as much as fifty or sixty thousand pounds. If she didn’t pay it, they would seize the jewellery and sell it off at a ridiculously low price to pay the duty.
After Peachey and Gideon left her, Millie also lost her jeweller friend. The jewellery, her carefully collected fortune, became a real problem. She dare not take it back to Britain for fear of having it seized by Customs officers. So she sold the marital home in England and bought a small villa in Tenerife with the proceeds. She had no idea she no longer held a fortune in her grasp... that it was all imitation jewellery.
When they returned home, Gideon sued his wife for divorce and eventually married Peachey. She sold her house and the two of them travelled for a while before settling in a lonely country retreat in the north to enjoy many years of happiness together. However, Gideon face often lit up at times as he thought about his ex-wife and he laughed loudly. ‘They say revenge isn’t sweet but I assure you that it is,’ he told her. ‘There’s only one thing I regret in life. I won’t be there when Millie tries to sell the jewellery and finds out it’s all junk. Boy... I’d love to see her face when she finds out!’
The Stranger
The village of Ethelbridge was exceedingly small due to the fact that it was located deeply in the heartland of a farming community. In effect, it comprised seventy-two houses, one Spar shop, one fish and chip shop and a number of farms both large and small. The people who lived in the village were generally dour earthy types mainly of an ageing character. The reason for this was that most of the young people drifted away after reaching adulthood because the absence of any meaningful work or anything of real interest to keep them either in the village or in the nearby town of Badderspoke if they decided not to become involved in farm work. And who could blame them? Who on earth was willing to work from early morning until late at night for a mere pittance? However, there was one main feature which existed in the village... the Community Centre. It was used for a multitude of activities including meetings of the villagers, martial arts lessons for the younger members on Mondays, an aerobic class every Tuesday, lessons in painting run by a pensioner with artistic ability on Thursdays, the annual fruit and vegetable competition each March, but most important of all was the weekly bingo session each Saturday evening. As the society was ageing and had a predominance of women who enjoyed playing the game, bingo always managed to draw a crowd of about fifty people each week.
Marsha Varcoe and her husband Darryl were the chief organisers of this popular event. They devoted a great deal of time and effort to the preparations required, also adding some humour to the occasion. For example, whenever Christmas, Easter or any other local or national festival occurred, they dressed up in appropriate clothing to add some colour to the evening as well as telling numerous jokes to the amusement of the crowd. Darryl had been Father Christmas, Jesus Christ, Worzel Gummidge, Napoleon, and a number of other well-known characters over the past few years. On this particular occasion, it was Halloween and both he and Marsha welcomed the visitors to the bingo at the entrance to the community centre. She was dressed in a witches outfit complete with a broomstick, while Darryl, clothed in black, wearing an evil half-mask, with a bat-hat on his head which lit up every five seconds, and gouging eyes on springs, smiled at them as they arrived. It was going to be yet another grand evening especially as he and Marsha prided themselves on the excellence of the weekly event and the joy it brought to the community.
Indeed, there were past successes which were etched for ever in the memory of Darryl Varcoe. He still dwelt on his triumph at winning the annual character award evening two months earlier when he had worn an Enid Blyton’s Noddy costume to perfection, complete with all the colourful accoutrements and a bright toy car, taking the trophy for the second year running. Both he and Marsha were very proud of the success of their bingo evenings and by now it had become part of their major interest in life. She took care of the sales of cards and control of the finances: he controlled the exit of the numbered balls from the machine and was the caller and chief event arranger. In fact it was such a successful event that many of the villagers considered their bingo evening to be the highlight of the week because they never really knew what was going to happen next. And rightly so because they all enjoyed it so much!
On this particular evening, there was a great deal of fun and laughter. Darryl’s ears flapped and the batteries fixed inside allowed them to glow red. He told a few Halloween jokes to get everyone in the mood and they played bingo happily until the interval. Before they started the second half, however, a tall dark stranger suddenly appeared in the doorway of the hall. He was gaunt, with a long white face, the skin of which had been torn at the side of one of his eyes and along the other cheek as though he had been fighting, as well as showing some bruising, he hadn’t shaved for two days, his unkempt hair was thick and straggly, and he had bushy eyebrows. His clothes were a complete disgrace. His jacket was ragged, his shirt was filthy and the tie he wore should have been relegated to the dustbin a long time earlier. His trousers were patched in places and his shoes were extremely muddy as though he had tramped through a wet field. He looked an absolute mess!
‘Can I help you?’ asked Marsha, eyeing the stranger with an element of suspicion. She hadn’t seen him before... not in the area let alone at the Community Centre.
The man stared at her bleakly before replying in a gruff voice. ‘There’s a sign here that says Community Centre. Can I come in and have a cup of tea, Mrs. Witch?’
She smiled at the name he called her and looked hard at the man wryly. Mrs. Witch? Well that was a new one on her but then she couldn’t really blame him. She was dressed as a witch on this special evening. Her first instinct was to tell him that it was a private function at the Community Centre and send him on his way. Then she looked at the injuries to the man’s face and his dishevelled state and took pity on him. ‘Sure,’ she told him. ‘You’re welcome. Come in and have a cup of tea.’
She led him to the main room and he sat down on a chair at one of the tables opposite an elderly woman.
‘You can’t sit there!’ exclaimed the woman haughtily, turning her nose up at the awful sight of him. ‘You’re sitting in my husband’s chair. He always sits there. We come here every week so we have a right, you know. You’ll have to find another seat somewhere else!’
Without taking offence, he stood up, looked around, and then sat on a chair at another table opposite an old man. ‘That’s my wife’s seat,’ the man bellowed loudly. ‘You
’ll have to find some other place to sit.’
Marsha sensed the situation quickly. She took the stranger’s arm and led him out to the kitchen. ‘They’re a sensitive lot as you can see,’ she told him in appeasement. ‘They come here every week and presume that the seats they have are actually theirs. Some of them are a bit arrogant, I have to admit. Do you want a biscuit?’ She switched on the electric kettle to boil the water.
‘I’ll have two, if you don’t mind,’ he said politely in the same gruff voice.
Marsha began to feel sorry for the man. He was obviously very hungry. Then she saw the wristband. It was on his left wrist and bore his name and a telephone number although it was sufficiently hidden so that she was unable to read it. It was a white wristband so she assumed that the man might have been in hospital receiving treatment for his facial injuries... and perhaps for some others which didn’t show. She believed that, as a result of his sombre quiet inoffensive attitude, he could even be a patient at the mental hospital in Badderspoke. In fact there was a possibility that he might have escaped from there. She strongly desired to ask the man his name and where he came from but she feared that if she did so she might upset him. At present, he was quiet, obedient, submissive. If he had escaped from the asylum, asking him details about himself might cause him to change his attitude. Subsequently, he might lash out and harm someone at the Community Centre or do serious damage to the place. And of greater importance, she realised that she was the only person with him... she was the first in line! It was a matter of being able to read the information on the wristband but, try as hard as she could, it was either hiding under his shirtcuff or angled so that she was unable to make out any of the details. She held out the tin box of biscuits in front of him and he took two, munching them quickly which indicated that he hadn’t eaten in some time.
