Chapter 16

 

 

 Around eight and Mr Jones was walking in mud, his brown brogues becoming caked. It was getting dark. He was wearing a long black casual jacket. He had parked his car in the same spot Donny had been waiting that morning. The lights were on in Freddie’s house and his blue Mercedes was parked in the drive. It was isolated down the long lane with little traffic and the nearest neighbours were maybe half a mile away. Mr Jones had no reason to believe he would be disturbed. He felt in his jacket pocket and pulled out a Beretta .22 Bobcat and flicked off the safety. A small calibre but deadly in his hands at the short range he preferred. No need for a silencer out here. Besides, he liked the bang. It added drama.

He moved through a gap in the front boundary. A loose assortment of laurels and rhododendrons. Moving swiftly over the front lawn, with the long grass removing the worst of the mud. He saw a front ground floor light come on and instinctively ducked down. Through the window he saw Freddie enter what seemed to be a study with books lining the walls stacked on floor to ceiling shelves. Light oak shelves. He heard Freddie’s phone ringing. Saw him pick up the handset. The bright blue phone looked trendy but unnecessary. Saw him talk into the mouthpiece but could not hear what was said. Just saw his lips moving. He was cross that was obvious.

Crouching a bit in a kind of bent over running stance he went down the side. Surprisingly agile for such a tall man. Staying on the grass. Avoiding the gravel pathway. The back door was open and the kitchen lit. The smell of cooked meat and chilli was drifting out. He saw a pan with steak cooling losing its hot cook sizzle sitting next to a lit gas ring on the red enamel range cooker. The kitchen door was open to the hallway with the study light down the far end. He could hear Freddie animatedly talking. Just into the hallway the door to another room was ajar. Quickly and silently Mr Jones moved into this to wait for the phone conversation to finish.

 

Freddie was humming as he heated the grill pan. He was especially upbeat thinking about last night and those two rascals from the horsey set who had a way of making a lot of fun last a long time. All that blond hair flying around. He loved those two girls with their long blond hair, and their giggling smiles and laughing and yelling and the way they sucked in their breath when a certain moment was reached. Like their horses they were fit and strong. Perfect thoroughbreds. Proper staying power. They were two naughty girls were those two. They knew what to do and how to do it alright and he chortled a sort of very satisfied subtle laugh. When he finally got to move into that huge bedroom in that massive house his mother was keeping from him he would have to get a bigger bed, he thought, a much bigger bed. Those two need a lot of room to be at their best.

He took a long slug of the best Burgundy he’d had in a while and rubbed the steak with oil on each side. Pinch of salt and twist from the pepper grinder and put it onto the super hot metal instantly caramelising the meat in a cloud of smoke. He let it sizzle for a couple of minutes then flicked it over and slung in some finely chopped chillies and shallots and finally just as the cooking was finishing a good slug of soy sauce. The dark sort with all that salty taste. As he was about to serve it onto the waiting plate the phone rang. In a temper he slammed the pan onto the worktop metal trivet with a loud clatter and stomped down the hall to the study.

“Yes,” he almost yelled down the phone, “oh it’s you mother. What the hell do you want? I'm in the middle of cooking.”

“I need to speak with you. It’s urgent and necessary,” came the reply.

Freddie’s mood did not change and he abruptly said in one of those really stroppy voices, “well make it quick. You’ve ruined enough of my life already, I won’t have you ruin my steak.”

“I’m phoning to warn you,” said Lilly.

“Warn me of what? What on earth is there that you can warn me about unless it’s that you won’t give me my money or my house.”

“I'm worried, Freddie. There's a man coming to see you. A vicious man who works for James. He wants the records your father has hidden. James wants them and intends to get them by any means he can.”

“How do you know all this? How would you know anything about vicious men?”

“It’s the police, they’ve warned me and said I should call you. He’s been to the house. I wasn’t there but Max spoke to him.”

“And what do the police know? They’ve got nothing and are desperate, that’s why they’re speaking to you. And Max. That old goat would be scared by a mouse.”

“You’re letting your anger take over Freddie, stop and think for a moment.”

Freddie was shouting now, “I am thinking you stupid woman. I’m thinking you’re…..”

“No you’re not,” said Lilly raising her voice, “ this is real.” Then said in a much quieter voice, “Why do you hate me so much Freddie that it makes you so cross?”

“It should be mine, all the money and the house and the businesses. He should have left it all to me. That’s why I hate you and James will make you give it all to me. I’ve told him I have the ledger. He won’t get it until he makes you give it all up and he’ll do it because it’s proof and he can’t have proof hanging about, can he?”

“You’re not thinking straight. Just cool down a bit and think for once in your life. He can’t make me do anything. He knows that. That’s why he’s got this man onto you. If you told James you’ve got the records this man will find them and I’m worried he will kill you for them if necessary. He murdered your father.”

“Now you’re really being dramatic. You’re just so pathetic. That was an accident wasn’t…..”

“Oh Freddie I wish you had more in your head than anger and blame then you’d see.”

“I’ve had enough of all your boloney. Bye, bye mother,” and he slammed the phone down.

Muttering under his breath and still in a temper he walked back down the hall to the kitchen and poked the steak around a bit in the pan cursing that it was now overcooked and going cold. He felt a sudden draft from the back door and slammed it shut, swearing some more. Then he panicked as he noticed the muddy footprints on the flagstone floor leading into the wooden floored hallway and to the sitting room. And immediately thought of his mother’s warning.

 

After Donny left Lilly immediately picked up the phone and dialled Freddy's landline. There was a wait before there was an answer and Bobby could see she was very agitated. The conversation was brisk and short. He could hear Freddie shouting and some of what was said and that clearly upset Lilly a lot.

She was nearly crying as she put the phone down with tears in her eyes and rolling down her face. Bobby could see she was very distressed, “he didn't listen then?” he said.

“No, he’s just so stupid. The things he said. I don’t know. I think I’ve lost him. He’s just so wrapped up with money. He said he’d told James about the records Aubrey made and said he had them. He was using that threat to make James get me to hand over control of everything to him. If this Mr Jones catches up with him….. Well I suppose I’ve done all I can. I’ll just have to hope for the best, won’t I?”

“Donny’s on his way there now,” said Bobby, “so hopefully he’ll get there and Freddie will listen to him.”

“Unless he’s too late,” said Lilly.

“There’s nothing more you can do, is there Madam? It’s up to Freddie really.” said Max.

“Oh Max,” said Lilly, “we're past all this formal stuff now, aren’t we? Please just call me Lilly.”

“But Madam….”

“No Max I insist. From now on you call me Lilly.”

Bobby said, “this all seems a bit James Bond to me. Now that I think about it I’ve always thought there was something about Donny. The estate agent thing was a bit odd as well. I never knew where he worked, just that he said he sold houses. I think I kind of just took that for granted. And what’s with all the mystery?”

“I think I can answer that,” said Max, “when Lilly said about the records Donny knew he had to act fast. He had no time to get anything officially in place. He knew Aubrey was murdered so it was obvious Lilly would be in danger. He couldn’t afford to make anything too obvious and of course if he asked you, Bobby, if you would help, would you have? Lilly has already said she would not leave the house.”

Bonny said, “I don’t know, I’d like to say yes I would’ve but the reality is I’m probably not so much of the hero type.”

“There you are then, Donny’s dilemma.” said Max, “he just did what he could and thought was best and as it turned out was right. If Lilly had been at home when Mr Jones called who know what would have happened.”

And they all went quiet thinking of what might happen to Freddie.

 

Turning from the backdoor Freddie heard a whistling coming from the hallway, a quiet almost under the breath kind of whistling and remembered the whistling he heard in James’s reception room and the tall man staring at him. Looking up he saw Mr Jones standing in the hallway in his black jacket and peaked cap and dark rimmed glasses. With his arm at his side holding a small gun. There was that little smile on his thin lips, an almost smirking kind of smile adding to an already sinister appearance.

“Hello Freddie,” Mr Jones said.

“I don’t know you, do I?” said Freddie with more than a touch of fear in his voice. He was thinking of his heated conversation with his mother and now regretting his temper.

“No you don’t know me but I know you Freddie. I called earlier today but your entertainment was leaving and there was someone watching you. Who was that?”

“There was no one watching me. Why would anyone be watching me?”

“I can’t answer that, can I? But I can assure you there was. In a silver car. Parked down the lane and I need to know who they are.”

“Well I can’t tell you that if I don’t know, can I?”

“Perhaps I’ll be able to jog your memory.” said Mr Jones with his smile lengthening a bit, “but before that I need the records you told James Munroe you had. They’re very important to him and he wants them urgently. If you were to give them to me now I might just leave and even forget about the man watching.”

“I haven't got them.” Freddie simply replied

“But you told James you did. Why say that if you don’t have them?”

“To make him persuade my mother to give me control of my father’s money. That’s why. I want you to leave,” said Freddie in a very shaky voice. “I don’t have them.”

“I’m not going anywhere Freddie. Not until I get some answers and I don’t think I believe you. Just tell me where they are. Then I might go. You know, I’m being unusually  polite and don’t really want to get serious.” Mr Jones raised the pistol and continued, “this little .22 may look small but it has it’s uses. It makes little mess but causes a lot of pain. Killing someone is difficult but at the same time easy if you are skilled. And I am very skilled.”

Freddie was now visibly shaking and in a quiet pleading voice said, “I don’t have them. They are hidden in my mother’s house somewhere. I’ve looked for them but didn’t find anything. She might know where it is. Ask her.”

“Oh I will do just that. But just now I see you’re going to need some persuasion.”

There was a bang and Freddie screamed as the small bullet hit his left arm just below the shoulder and he slumped to lean against the table. “Are you sure you don’t know?” said Mr Jones now with a wide grin on his face. A smile of pure pleasure. “Just tell me where they are. That’s not so hard to do, is it?”

“I’m sure. It hurts.” pleaded Freddie.

“It’s supposed to hurt,” replied Mr Jones.

 “Please. I don’t have them. Please don’t hurt me. If I did you could have. I don’t want them anymore.”

“Who’s the man watching,” said Mr Jones, suddenly changing tack.

“I told you I don’t know. I don’t know anything. Why would I?” There were tears in his eyes. He tried to move towards Mr Jones but was kicked to the floor.

And another shot. This time to the right arm. Hitting the bone. Another scream and Freddie slid to the floor screaming in pain.

“I don’t know, I don’t know any of this. Please, please believe me,” screamed Freddie.

“You know I think I do. You know I will believe you. You’re not the sort to hold out.”

Through his pain Freddie sighed and looked at Mr Jones with a small grin appearing through the pain. “I’m telling you the truth,” he said.

“I know,” said Mr Jones. Then the grin dropped to a frown as the look on Mr Jones’s face changed.

“Unfortunately you’ve become a liability,” he said, “and this is the way it’s got to be. I would say I’m sorry but I’m not. But no hard feelings anyway. Eh?” And he shot Freddie twice in the head with the two loud cracks in quick succession making Mr Jones's grin spread wide as he walked out the back door leaving it open.