The Rubicon

by Andrew Heasman

  As the hubbub died down, the consultant approached Adam and Sarah, a folder full of test results in his hands. He looked them both in the eyes and then broke into a smile. There was a collective sigh of relief.

  “It’s early days,” he began, “but this is a good sign. We’ll need to monitor Jennifer’s progress, but at the moment all indications are positive. We won’t be able to give a long-term prognosis just yet, but we are hopeful.” Sarah openly sobbed and Adam placed his hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently. “Well, what are you waiting for? Go and see your daughter, it is Christmas, after all.” He stood to one side as they rushed to hold her hands.

  “Merry Christmas, kiddo,” Adam whispered as he leaned forward to kiss Jenny’s forehead.

  The room’s atmosphere had changed. Before, it had been cold, professional, tension filling the air; now it was full of smiles, laughter, hope and relief. It was as if the tide had turned - Jenny was over the worst of it and on her way to recovery. Maybe their luck, as a family, was changing too. Adam was determined to ensure that all of them would be safe in the future - once and for all - no matter what it took.

  ...

  Whereas Adam’s Christmas Day had turned into one of the happiest that he had ever experienced, in total contrast, Aaron Turner’s had deteriorated as the day had progressed.

  Things had begun pleasantly enough with Aaron playing with Kyle as he unwrapped his presents. Kelly had watched from the fringes, not quite confident enough to participate, but not wanting to miss a moment of her son’s excitement. Aaron had been satisfied with the compromise and had tolerated her presence, begrudgingly.

  Christmas dinner had been and gone - Kelly acting as cook, waitress, and general dogsbody - and eventually Kyle had gone up to bed, exhausted, but happy. This had left Aaron with a whole evening with nothing to do. With all of his friends out of action or missing, he had nobody to visit him, nobody to celebrate with. He turned to alcohol to drown his sorrows and the atmosphere changed almost immediately. The drunker he got, the more he took his frustrations out on Kelly. But his depression was not solely down to his lack of company; he was annoyed that Adam had not chosen to retaliate yet. It confused him and made him angry. Had he lost his bottle? Had he given up his vendetta against him? What was he waiting for? He wished that Adam would get on with it so that he could end the matter once and for all.

  Kelly could sense Aaron’s bad mood bubbling. In an attempt to ease the tension, she calmly asked how his Christmas Day had gone.

  “Yeah, it was good spending time with Kyle. It would ‘ave been a lot better without you cluttering up the place, though.” He spat the words out, trying to draw her into an argument so that he could let off steam. Kelly did not bite.

  “How was your dinner? Did you enjoy the turkey?”

  “It was overcooked!” It had been fine, but Aaron was still using Kelly as a verbal punchbag to make himself feel better. When she did not react, he continued, “You know what?” His voice rose as he dismissively growled at her, “Just fuck off out of my sight. You disgust me!” He took a swig of beer as he looked away from her and switched on the television.

  Kelly knew what was coming before the slap connected with the left side of her face. She knew that if she complained, if she so much as uttered a single word, the slap would be the prelude to a full-blown beating. She had learned the hard way to keep her mouth shut. With her cheek reddening, she fought back the tears and ran into the kitchen – out of sight, out of mind. Adam returned to his TV show and his beer, barely giving her a second thought. He had wanted her to fight back, to give him an excuse to use his fists. He was disappointed, frustrated, and drunk. However, he knew that he would regret his actions the following morning.

  Chapter 35

  02:00 – Tuesday 3rd January.

  The house on Carlton Road was shrouded in darkness.

  Adam had been loitering in the shadows, watching number 17, for the past five hours. He had observed Aaron loading his car in preparation for a trip away. He was obviously going for some time as he had placed a number of holdalls, carrier bags, and a tatty suitcase in the boot of the vehicle before Kelly had fastened Kyle into his child’s safety seat in its rear. After one final check of the house, all lights having been extinguished, they had both climbed into the front of the car - their dog curled up in the footwell at the back - and driven away. The house had been left empty and silent.

  Adam could have initiated his plan the moment that their car had left the end of the street, but he had chosen to wait, ensuring that they did not return unexpectedly. A delay of an extra few hours was inconsequential - he had already waited for the period between Christmas and New Year - now it was time for him to act.

  Dressed entirely in black – jacket, trousers, leather gloves, woolly hat, and a scarf disguising his facial features – he crossed the deserted street and surreptitiously slipped into the back garden of number seventeen. His previous reconnaissance had confirmed that the house had no alarm fitted, nor did it have any motion-sensitive lighting. Pulling a mini maglite from his backpack, he switched on its beam, placed it in his mouth in order to free both hands, and aimed its circle of light on the back door’s lock. Gaining entry was simplicity itself to someone with his skills. Pulling the door to, he swiftly transited through the kitchen area, into the entrance hall, and up the stairs. The squeaky step halfway up seemed amplified in the deathly silence, but he knew that there was nobody home to hear it.

  Kelly had said that the safe was in the front bedroom so he headed directly towards it. Bedroom was a bit of an exaggeration - it was more of a box room, its perimeter littered with discarded, unwanted household clutter and stolen electrical items. It was after midnight, but the streetlights from the road outside provided ample illumination for him to look around without the use of his torch. Locating the safe was simply a matter of moving his foot from one spot to another and applying pressure. Within seconds, his boot felt the distinctive, but minute, movement of a loose floorboard. There was no carpet to hinder him, so he knelt down and levered the board out using a flat-headed screwdriver that he had brought specifically for that purpose.

  The safe was exactly as Kelly had described - black, about a foot square, and set into the cavity between the joists beneath the floorboards. He leaned forward and gave the box a shake. It moved. You would have thought that having gone to the effort of hiding a safe under the floorboards; somebody ought to have fixed it to the surrounding structure. Adam was dumbfounded. He shook his head in disbelief as he lifted its entirety out of the hole, placing it delicately on the floor’s surface. He smiled to himself. It would have been so easy to have just removed the entire safe (and its contents) from the house, but that would have spoiled his plan, his surprise for Aaron. Instead, he used his considerable skills to unlock its lid. Having been told by Kelly that it was a professional safe, Adam had been pleased to discover that it was nothing of the sort. It was no more than a domestic safe bought over the counter at any DIY store. It looked the part, and might fool an unsuspecting burglar, but in reality, Adam was sure that if he had simply dropped it from a height, its door would have popped open of its own accord. The words, cheap and nasty, sprung to mind – not that he was complaining, of course.

  Inside, Adam found a package wrapped in clear cellophane. It contained cash, used notes amounting to something in the region of £50,000. He blew air through his pursed lips, a slight whistle piercing the silence. “Nice,” he said to himself. Having removed his backpack, he tucked the money inside, zipping the compartment securely.

  He stood up and slowly scanned the room. Where was the covert camera that Kelly had warned him about? Spotting it hidden next to some of the rubbish in the room’s corner, he turned towards it. Until this point, Adam’s face had been covered by a scarf, but he stood square on to the camera and removed it, staring straight into the lens. Aaron would recognise him when he replayed the footage, but that was all part of the plan - he needed Aaron to know who had taken
his money.

  Next, Adam pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket. He unfolded it and read the words that were written upon it:

  -

  I’ve got your money!

  I’ll be in touch soon.

  -

  Holding it just below his chin, he moved closer to the camera ensuring that the words, and his face, were clearly visible. He was taunting Aaron, trying to make him angry, trying to force him into a reaction, and hopefully cause him to make an uncharacteristic mistake.

  Refolding the slip of paper, he dropped it into the safe, taking the place of the missing cash. He shut and locked its lid, and then repositioned it back under the floorboards. If Aaron returned and casually looked into the bedroom, he would be unaware of the safe’s missing contents. It would only be after viewing the camera footage, or opening the safe, that he would realise that they had been stolen. It would be an unexpected surprise, one that Adam wished that he could be present to witness.

  With one final wave to the camera, he left the room, and the house, securing everything that he had unlocked along the way.

  Now the waiting begins, he thought.

  The next phase of his plan could not be initiated until Aaron had discovered his missing money and realised that it was Adam who had taken it.

  Chapter 36

  14:00 – Friday 6th January.

  Aaron felt like a new man.

  It was just what he had needed - a few days away from the estate, a few days downtime, relaxing and drinking with his former army buddies, reminiscing over their shared experiences (despite him only having had a relatively short military career). It had given him time to clear his head, to de-stress, and to forget the whole Adam Greenwood business, if only for a short period. But now he was back home, back to the monotony of life on the Glebe, and suddenly everything came flooding back, overwhelming him once again.

  He had been to visit his brother, Josh, only to discover that he was seriously depressed - if not on the verge of suicide - following his Christmas and New Year incarcerated behind the walls of HMP Manston Grange. The news that his court date had been scheduled for early March had done little to boost his spirits, especially knowing that he had to remain behind bars for another two months before discovering his fate.

  There had been no word from Callum or Sam; it was as if they had vanished off the face of the earth. He had no idea what was going on with them. And the rest of his gang were still out of action, either medically or on remand. It was as if nothing had changed since before he had gone on his three day trip.

  As for Adam Greenwood - there had been no sightings, no news, and no retaliation. Had it been nothing more than idle threats on his part? Had he been bluffing? Aaron was unsure. He had expected to return home to find some half-hearted attempt to damage his property, a broken window or two, maybe even a bit of fire damage mimicking the arson on his own home. But no, his house was untouched; everything was exactly the way that he had left it. Maybe Greenwood had finally decided to back down? Only time would tell.

  Aaron’s phone chimed from the kitchen worktop. Picking it up, he scanned the Caller ID to see that it read, “Jimmy O.”

  Jimmy O’Rourke was a notorious drugs dealer, a middleman between the street-level suppliers and those who imported bulk shipments from abroad. He was somebody who had headhunted Aaron, using him to distribute supplies and to launder money, as and when required. Aaron was currently holding £50,000 of his cash for safekeeping (earning a tidy profit and a lot of Brownie Points, in the process).

  In an overly familiar tone, Aaron answered the call. “Jimmy, how’s it going? Happy New Year, mate.”

  Jimmy was all business. “I’m not your mate!” He was silent for a second. “You still got my money?”

  Feeling suitable chastised, Aaron replied, “Of course, ma...I mean Jimmy. Do you need it back?”

  “Yeah, I’ve got a deal brewing.”

  “When do you want it by?”

  “Couple of days. Handover at the usual place?”

  “Yeah, no problems. What time?”

  “Eleven O’clock - pm.”

  “I’ll see you there.”

  The line buzzed as Jimmy ended the call.

  With the conversation still fresh in his mind, Aaron headed straight upstairs to the small bedroom. He checked over his shoulder to ensure that Kelly and Kyle were nowhere nearby, and then he knelt down and removed the floorboard that covered the safe. Having typed in the security code, he levered the door open and peered inside.

  It was as if somebody had punched him in the stomach, the wind having been knocked out of him. He stared in disbelief. His cash – Jimmy’s cash – was missing! He blinked repeatedly, his brain not quite comprehending the messages that his eyes were sending it. It could not be missing; there must be some sort of mistake.

  As it finally started to sink in, Aaron noticed the folded scrap of paper lying before him. What’s that? he wondered. Unfolding it, he read the words scribbled upon its surface. He knew instantly that this was Greenwood’s work - who else would dare to steal from him? But he wanted proof, to confirm that it was definitely him, to see it with his own eyes. He flashed up his laptop and signed in to his CCTV program. Within five minutes he had located the section of footage that he required. There it was, Adam Greenwood’s face staring back at him from the centre of the screen, the note held strategically below his chin. He froze the image, a terrible rage building within him. But there was also a feeling of fear. It had not been his own money that had been taken; it had been Jimmy’s. What would he do if he discovered that it was missing? He needed to get it back at all costs, preferably BEFORE Jimmy’s two day deadline.

  The note had said that Adam would be in touch soon. What was that supposed to mean? What had he got planned? Should he just wait to be contacted, or should he go searching for him? Aaron’s mind was a mess - there were too many thoughts buzzing around inside of it - he could not think clearly. Instead, his anger had reached boiling point. He screwed-up the note, throwing it on the bedroom floor. He clenched his fists, shaking with contained rage, and then slammed the door shut as he stormed down the stairs and into the kitchen.

  Kelly was washing plates in the sink. She looked up as Aaron entered the room. She could feel his anger permeating the air.

  “What’s up?” she asked, timidly.

  “We’ve been fucking robbed!” he roared. “It’s all gone. I’m dead if I don’t get it back.” He was not so much replying to Kelly as thinking aloud.

  “What’s gone?” She knew exactly what was missing, but needed to give the impression of innocence to protect herself.

  Aaron was in no mood to discuss the matter and looked at her with contempt. “Outta my way.”

  Kelly was an easy target to vent his fury and pent-up frustrations upon. He stepped towards the back door, shoving her to one side, knocking her to the floor. As she fell, she could hear Aaron screaming, “Fucking Greenwood – You’re DEAD!” as he jogged towards the front of the house and out onto the street. Where he was going and what he intended to do, nobody knew.

  Hauling herself back to her feet, Kelly smiled inwardly. She had known that Adam was considering taking the money, but she had been unaware that he had actually done it. She went straight to the bedroom to find everything as Aaron had left it. The safe was still open, the note screwed-up next to it. And his laptop was still displaying the CCTV footage that had been paused on Adam’s face. If the police were to become involved at any point, the only evidence linking the theft to Adam would have been the CCTV and the note. She picked up the computer and stared at the image. It was too risky to leave any proof lying around; it needed to be destroyed in order to protect him. She pressed the ‘Delete’ button and shut down the laptop.

  Picking up the handwritten note, she placed it in her trouser pocket before shutting the safe and replacing the floorboard. Returning to the kitchen, she lit the gas hob burner on the cooker, and after pausing to consider whether she was
doing the right thing, she held the note above the flickering flame until it ignited. The fire slowly crept up the paper turning it to ash as it destroyed all evidence of Adam’s visit.

  She had done it. Adam was in the clear (at least, as far as the police were concerned). She felt good. In some small way, helping to clear Adam was her way of standing up to her partner. It was her own small personal revenge against Aaron, a thank you for treating her so badly over the years. No doubt there would be some payback for her actions, but that was inevitable anyway. At least this time she had actually done something to warrant a punishment.

  ...

  “Ring, ring - Ring, ring.”

  The screen on the mobile phone showed that Lloyd was calling. Adam’s eyes narrowed. What did he want? He was instantly on the defensive.

  “Hello?”

  “Hiya mate, how’s it going? Listen, DS Carmichael’s been trying to get hold of you since Christmas. Where have you been? It’s like you’ve fallen off the grid. You’re not at home, not answering your phone...”

  “Yeah, I know, sorry about that. I’ve been living out of the van, what with travelling between hospital, Sarah’s parent’s house, and work. It’s been busy – stupidly busy,” he lied. “Was it something important?”

  “Yeah, sort of. That court case, the Josh Turner one, they’ve set the date for early March.”

  “OK, thanks for letting me know.”

  “You should get a letter in the post confirming it, once the clerks get back from their New Year break.” Lloyd paused. “I hear that Jenny is conscious again. How’s she doing?”

  “It’s too early to say. She’s talking OK, but her memory’s patchy. The doctors are looking at long-term brain damage, but it’s all up in the air until her physical injuries recover a bit.”