The Mysterious Coat

by Nicholas Walsh

  Then, another voice of Tyler’s is in Robert’s head saying, ‘Then I saw you walking past the cafe where I was having dinner, and finally, when I was working at the Duke of York Hotel I saw a mysterious coat in the dark corner. Do you wear this coat?’

  Robert is worried and says to himself, ‘Yes, I wore it.’

  Then another voice of Tyler’s is in his head. ‘And also, you were creeping around in the bushes outside plus you nearly took me hostage at your secret hideout, and do you know what?’

  Robert becomes upset and his body starts shaking. The final voice of Tyler in Robert’s head says, ‘You made me crazy, you big drongo!’

  Robert’s face is shocked, and he shouts loudly, ‘Shut up!’

  But there’s also the voice of Peter in Robert’s head. ‘You punched my face, you mongrel!’

  Robert gulps but another voice of Peter comes into his head and says, ‘What are you going to do? Do you have a suicide plan by hanging yourself in your cell before your big announcement tomorrow?’

  Robert becomes stressed, and the last and final voice of Peter in Robert’s head taunts, ‘Chicken!’

  Robert screams, and shouts, ‘Shut up! I’m sick of my life and I don’t want to go to jail again, I want to die!’ Then he turns sad and starts crying.

  He thinks how did he, Robert Taylor, who turned from a mysterious person wearing the mysterious coat become a crazy person by escaping from police custody and going on a killing rampage to a sad, lonely and broken man? Why is he so unkind when faced with the people that he doesn’t like and doesn’t want to see and meet in his life?

  At Fritzeg Street, there are some police cars on the road and patrolmen are standing in the street. On the left side of Fritzeg Street, Inspector Mack Young is being interviewed by the reporters of the media.

  ‘We spoke to Robert Taylor today inside the Duke of York Hotel. There are no hostages, just only him, and he is alone.’

  ‘Inspector, what are you going to do about bringing Robert Taylor to justice now?’ asks a newspaper reporter.

  ‘Well, we’ve got to wait for him to come out. I don’t know when that will be, whether it could be tomorrow or next week so we’ll see about that,’ says Mack.

  He then leaves from the group of reporters and walks back to his men who are waiting for Robert to leave from the Duke of York Hotel and to arrest him again.

  CHAPTER 37

  A

  t Tyler’s apartment block, there is a knock on the door. Tyler and Angelique walk to the door and Tyler opens the door. It is Mr Pluck who just got back from Fritzeg Street.

  ‘Hello, Mr Pluck.’

  ‘Hello, Mr Brown.’

  ‘Were you okay when you walked back to Fritzeg Street to check the Duke of York Hotel?’ asks Angelique.

  ‘Yes I was fine, Angelique,’ says Mr Pluck. ‘Don’t worry, I’m alive.’

  ‘Would you like a cuppa, Mr Pluck?’ asks Tyler.

  ‘Oh yes, please,’ says Mr Pluck as he enters Tyler’s apartment.

  A minute later, Tyler, Angelique and Mr Pluck are sitting on the chairs and their cups of tea are on the table. Mr Pluck starts to have a chat with Tyler and Angelique.

  ‘Angelique, I have an idea for you about your future.’

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘When you get married to Tyler and start having a family, would you like to go back to work as a dancer at the Duke of York Hotel to earn some money again?’

  ‘Well, maybe I might do some other jobs,’ says Angelique.

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Because some dancers finish working their dancing jobs, and move to other more normal jobs, like working as a receptionist, a secretary or an assistant, or even working as a housewife,’ replies Angelique.

  ‘Angelique, there are some dancers who keep working at their dancing jobs when they are married and have children. They need money to pay for their children’s school fees and also for their health insurance and all the other bills. You may like to try it after you are married to Tyler and start having your family.’

  ‘Mr Pluck,’ says Tyler ‘my dad watched Cop Shop on TV way back a long time ago, and he saw an episode about a detective who fell in love with a stripper at a strip club.’

  ‘Really?’

  ‘Yes. After my dad saw Cop Shop on TV, he did a survey about men having dates with strippers, and he asked his colleagues a question about the same topic during a lunch break at the Hollywood Seven Bar where he worked as a staff member.’

  ‘What were the answers and results?’

  ‘Some of his colleagues agreed, some of his colleagues dis-agreed, and some of his colleagues didn’t know because they felt there were security issues. But the boss didn’t like my dad’s survey, and forced him to put it away out of sight. My dad put his survey in the garage and kept it private. He didn’t talk to anyone about it anymore and he still kept watching Cop Shop on TV.’

  ‘Wow, that’s an amazing story, Mr Brown,’ says Mr Pluck.

  Tyler continued, ‘And, also, I talked to Peter about how many dancers get married and have children, and he told me there were lots. I’m not sure what age they finish dancing, whether it is twenty-five, thirty, thirty-five or forty. It’s very hard for them finding the right man for a husband because they’re attractive to all men.’

  ‘There is a nightclub here in Prahran, and it’s called Rabblos. When you and some of your colleagues take a break from their work at the Duke of York Hotel, do you visit this nightclub?’

  ‘Yes, I’ve been there a couple of times before,’ says Angelique.

  ‘Oh, did you enjoy it?’

  ‘Yes, a little bit,’ says Angelique.

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Well, sometimes I worry about going to this place by myself and then drink driving, so I bring my friends or colleagues to look after me. I didn’t find a man until I met Tyler.’

  ‘Do you go to any other nightclubs?’

  ‘Yes, I’ve been to Boulange nightclub in South Melbourne quite often doing another job, not quite the same as my dancing work.’

  ‘What is this other job?’

  ‘It is working as a model.’

  ‘What’s type of modelling do you do?’

  ‘Lingerie.’

  ‘Did you enjoy yourself at the Boulange nightclub?’

  ‘Yes, I did. The last time I visited the Boulange was with Tyler, and we had a romantic dance using different styles of dancing.’

  ‘What type of styles?’

  ‘First, we did a modern dance, romantic-style. Then, we did a tango dance, romantic-style followed by a salsa dance, romantic-style and finally, some disco dancing, romantic-style.’

  ‘Wow, that’s beautiful.’

  ‘Yes, it is,’ says Tyler.

  ‘When do you think you and Angelique will get married?’

  ‘We haven’t decided it exactly. Possibly in June,’ says Tyler.

  ‘Okay,’ says Mr Pluck checking his watch. Mr Pluck takes his cup of tea from the table, sips his cup of tea quickly, and then puts his empty cup on the table, and says to both Tyler and Angelique, ‘I think I will go back to Fritzeg Street again.’

  ‘Why?’ asks Tyler.

  ‘Because I want to check how the Duke of York Hotel is going,’ says Mr Pluck.

  ‘Are you going to be all right?’ asks Angelique.

  ‘Yes,’ says Mr Pluck as he stands up from the chair and says to both Tyler and Angelique, ‘We will meet again at Fritzeg Street tomorrow.’

  ‘Okay, Mr Pluck, goodbye.’

  ‘Bye,’ says Mr Pluck as he walks to the door and leaves.

  Angelique says to Tyler, ‘I’m bored, Tyler, what should we do now?’

  ‘I think we can go to the swimming pool and have a swim!’

  ‘Bring it on!’

  Angelique stands up from her chair and walks to Tyler’s bedroom to change into her swimsuit. Tyler then joins her to get changed into his bathers to prepare for a swim at the swimming pool.

  At the
Duke of York Hotel, Robert is still sitting on the floor alone. He closes his eyes and starts having a flashback and talking to himself.

  ‘How and when did I buy the mysterious coat?’

  He tries to remember his past. He is walking to the coat shop in Fritzeg Street after he has been released from Pentridge Prison in Coburg. He has served a one year jail sentence as a twenty-year-old for stalking and assault. Then as a twenty-one-year-old and wearing a Peter Jackson suit, he goes to the coat shop and enters. Inside the coat shop, he see there are lots of coats with different types and colours. He’s not sure which coat he’s going to buy to use in his next crime. A voice interrupts his thoughts and says to him, ‘Can I help you, sir?’

  Robert turns around and sees the owner of the shop who is standing at the counter. His name is Darcy Jones, and he is wearing a trenchcoat. Darcy was involved with illegal gambling, prostitution and money laundering a long time ago. Robert asks him who he is.

  ‘My name is Darcy Jones.’

  ‘Damn,’ says Robert.

  ‘So, do you need help?’

  ‘Yes, I would like to buy a coat please.’

  ‘Well, what type of a coat do you want? Long or short?’

  ‘Long please.’

  ‘What colour do you like?’

  ‘I don’t know. What colours are there?’

  ‘Black?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Grey?’

  ‘Nah.’

  ‘Dark brown?’

  ‘Nope.’

  ‘Light brown?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Okay, I’ll get it for you.’ He leaves from the counter and walks to a rack. Then, he takes a light brown coat from a coat hanger, and walks back to the counter.

  ‘Is this what you want?’

  ‘Yes. Who made this coat?’ asks Robert.

  ‘It was made by an Italian fashion label called Prada, and this fashion design label has made many types of clothes and has been popular in many countries including here.’

  ‘Mmm, I’ll take it.’

  ‘All right, that will cost you $2500.’

  Robert takes his money out of his pocket and gives it to Darcy. Darcy then puts the light brown coat in a bag and gives it to Robert. Darcy also has two cards which have the contact details of the coat shop on them, and gives them to Robert.

  ‘Oh, don’t forget to take these two cards. So, what are you’re going to do when you wear this coat?’

  ‘Not much’, replies Robert, as he thinks to himself about when he goes home and wears the coat and disguises himself as a mysterious person so he can do crime again and then go hide somewhere in St Kilda.

  Returning to the present, at the Duke of York Hotel, Robert wakes up, opens his eyes and says to himself, ‘Wait a minute … The coat shop … I remember I bought the mysterious coat.’ He stands up from the floor, walks to the window and sees the police who are patrolling Fritzeg Street. Robert turns around and says to himself, ‘I think I need help.’

  So he walks to the bar and then, to the barman’s office, walks to the barman’s door and sees a piece of paper which has emergency contact details on it. He notices Dr Airhardt’s numbers; one is his office number, and the other is his mobile number. Robert picks up the phone and dials Dr Airhardt’s mobile phone number because he needs help to sort out his past experiences of buying the mysterious coat at the coat shop.

  On the left side of Fritzeg Street, Dr Airhardt hears his mobile phone ringing so he takes his mobile phone out of his pocket.

  ‘Hello, this is Dr Airhardt speaking, can I help you?’

  ‘Hello, Doctor,’ says Robert, ‘I need help.’

  ‘Who is it?’ asks Dr Airhardt.

  ‘It’s Robert, Robert Taylor.’

  ‘Do you have a problem?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘What’s your problem about?’

  ‘I have been having flashbacks.’

  ‘What’re your flashbacks about?’

  ‘It’s about me being released from jail again. It’s about when I went to the coat shop in Fritzeg Street, bought a light brown coat which has the Prada label and it became the mysterious coat.’

  ‘Did you know about this shop before?’

  ‘Yes, I did know it, and I had been there before. Can you visit the coat shop to learn about my plan for the mysterious coat that I bought please?’

  ‘All right, Robert, I’ll do it,’ says Dr Airhardt. ‘Goodbye.’

  Inspector Mack Young walks towards Dr Airhardt.

  ‘Who was on the phone?’

  ‘It’s Robert Taylor, Inspector,’ says Dr Airhardt. ‘He wants me to visit the coat shop to learn about the mysterious coat that he bought before.’

  ‘Doctor, the owner of this coat shop has been involved with crime before, a long time ago. His name is Darcy Jones.’

  ‘Have you investigated him before?’ asks Dr Airhardt.

  ‘Yes, he’s been involved with illegal gambling, prostitution and money laundering way back a few years ago,’ says Mack. ‘I was investigating him when I became an Inspector, and then I arrested him four times, and charged him with illegal gambling, prostitution and money laundering.’

  ‘So, have you also been investigating him for corruption before?’ asks Dr Airhardt.

  ‘Yes because we’re trying to stop illegal stuff.’

  ‘What happened to Darcy after you arrested him four times? Did he get a jail sentence, a fine or both?’

  ‘He was fined after being found guilty of being involved with illegal stuff and dirty tricks. He returned back to the coat shop to continue working and he’s been selling the coats to everybody and anybody who comes into his shop,’ says Mack.

  ‘Well, I think I better go now,’ says Dr Airhardt. ‘Do you have a photo of the mysterious coat so I can show it to Darcy when I interview him?’

  ‘Okay,’ says Mack. He spins around and shouts to Professor Jerry Bowie, ‘Professor!’ He turns back again to Dr Airhardt.

  ‘Any final thoughts before tomorrow?’

  ‘Well, after the coat shop, I’m going back to my office to resume my work as a psychiatrist,’ says Dr Airhardt.

  Professor Jerry Bowie then walks over to Dr Airhardt, takes the photo of the light brown coat out of his suit pocket and gives it to Dr Airhardt.

  ‘Here, take this photo and give it back to me tomorrow. The real coat is still at the forensic laboratory in the police station, because I was disappointed Robert didn’t appear in public when he escaped from police custody.’

  ‘Don’t worry, Professor, there are lots of people who have disappointments, just like losing grand final teams.’ Professor Jerry Bowie walks away disappointed, and then Dr Airhardt says to Mack, ‘Well, I’ll see you tomorrow, Inspector. Goodbye.’

  ‘Bye,’ says Mack, as Dr Airhardt walks away and leaves to go to the coat shop in Fritzeg Street to find out more about the mysterious coat.

  Mack continues watching the sieged Duke of York Hotel.

  Meanwhile, in the Duke of York Hotel, Robert exits from the barman’s office and the bar, and he’s now thinking about what to do to stop himself from being bored.

  ‘I think I’ll go and have a look at the other rooms because I wonder where the people are from this hotel – I want to take them hostage.’

  He leaves from the main bar, and walks to the bistro. When Robert opens the door of the bistro, which also contains the kitchen and another bar, he sees the bistro is empty.

  ‘Where are the people?’ He shuts the door and walks to another room. Robert opens the door, enters, shuts the door, frowns, and says to himself, ‘Bloody bar!’

  He then walks to a dance area which has the record turntable and speakers. He takes a box of records from under the turntable system and puts it on the dance floor. He looks at all the records, one by one. After checking all the music records from the box, he returns the box of records back under the turntable system.

  ‘It’s no use!’ he shouts as he kicks one of the speakers, mar
ches to the door of the bar, and slams the door behind him. He is so angry and upset.

  In the hallway of the Duke of York Hotel, Robert is starting to calm down. He stops frowning and takes a deep breath three times, and then counts to ten. Finally, he takes another deep breath three times again.

  ‘That’s better, but I don’t know what I’m going to do now. The bar is empty because the people have left, the bistro is empty because the people have left, everybody has left the whole bar. What’s wrong with me? I have never done anything wrong when I have visited the Duke of York Hotel. It’s true, I have done some wrong things in St Kilda and other suburbs. I have been to Chapel Street in Prahran and stole a handbag from an old lady when I was ten-years-old. I have been to the car park of the Palais Theatre and stole a car when I was twelve-years-old. So I became a person who illegally drove a car – I was a car thief and a little criminal. I robbed a milk bar in Balaclava when I was fourteen-years-old. When I was sixteen-years-old, I went to the St Kilda Botanical Gardens, and with a pistol, I assaulted an old man. When I was seventeen-and-a-half-years-old, I did a bank robbery at a bank, and finally when I was twenty-years-old, I stalked and assaulted a prostitute in Grundy Street, St Kilda. Yes, I have done these wrong things; possession of weapons, kidnapping, assault and possession of explosives, followed by an attempted kidnapping and an attempted holding of a man hostage at my secret hideout. I am a criminal, but …’ He pauses. ‘I want people to be here at this pub, but now it’s too late. They’re all gone. I am alone and also, a lonely person, and I am a failed person, it’s no use.’ He then leaves from the hallway and walks to one of the rooms which is an entertainment area with a bar.

  Robert opens the door and thinks to himself , Where’s the band? He shuts the door and walks to the stage, but he sees the stage is empty and there are no microphones and no speakers. He climbs the stage, turns around and smiles.