Chapter 19

 

 Driving for about a mile down the lane away from the cottage Mr Jones pulled over as his phone rang.

“Yes,” is all he said.

“Have you the document yet?” came the reply in a terse voice.

“Not yet.”

“This is becoming urgent,” James said, unintentionally letting some annoyed panic drift into his voice and was that a background of fear Mr Jones thought he could detect? “questions are being asked,” he continued.

“There are complications that I’m resolving.”

“And the lady? Have you found the lady yet? You said you knew where she was.”

“That’s the complication. I went there but the detective was there and taking her was impossible. I’ll be trying later. First I’m going to her house. There’s no one there and I’ll rip it apart if I have to.”

“This needs to be resolved and resolved quickly. Remember what I said. Questions are being asked. If I have to give answers it will be you that is blamed. It will be you that pays the price.”

Mr Jones very deliberately replied, “I think you are mistaken. And…. I thought I told you not to threaten me,” and he hung up.

He quickly punched in another number, “It’s Mr Jones,” he said, “James Munroe is becoming nervous and will be unpredictable.”

“You’ve dealt with the son?” a foreign sounding voice said.

“Yes.”

“And the woman?”

“That will be resolved this evening.”

“The ledger?”

“This evening. I guarantee a satisfactory resolution this evening.”

“James Munroe is a problem we don’t need. You’re free to deal with him as you see fit, Just keep me informed.” and the line went dead. Mr Jones started the car, U-turned, took the next left and headed for the motorway and London. An hour and a half later he was parking on the double yellow lines outside James Munroe’s office.

 

 

Putting the phone down James Munroe was sweating. He was beating himself up thinking he was so stupid to get involved with such people. They were ruthless but he always knew that, didn’t he? It was greed, pure greed and nothing else that made him do it. That’s what got him into this mess and he regretted it. He was a naturally greedy person. And that fool Freddie. Why did he get involved with him? Especially with his father being so straight. What had he gained he thought. Nothing he thought, he’d only lost. He’d lost a very lucrative client and replaced him with a dimwit son. Then lost him.

He took off his jacket and hung it over the back of his chair, one of those padded chairs with high backs that swivelled. The handkerchief so casually stuffed in the top pocket, a bright yellow that smartened up the drab looking blue chalk stripe. He pulled it free and wiped his face. Then the glasses stuck to the tip of his nose and brushed his fingers through his hair. 

The thought of that foreign voice on the phone made him shudder. An unexpected call for sure. The menace it held. It suggested a finality that he didn’t doubt and it was that which made him sweat. This had to be sorted and sorted soon. So he pressed the contact on his phone for Mr Jones. He would lay it on the line. Tell Jones to get it done. He would have to get it done or there would be consequences. That’s what he would tell him. And he totally ignored the previous warning from Mr Jones. Mr Jones had answered and he had told him just the way he wanted and Mr Jones had just abruptly hung up.

Well, thought James, no matter. Jones would have to deal with this now, he had no option. That foreign voice? He'd met the owner of that voice and he was certainly not one to mess with. That Jones, he had no idea what was coming to him and he smiled, a sort of satisfied smile that at least he had Mr Jones to lay all this onto. That voice, it needed him. How else would they get all that cash filtered into the legitimate system? That was his strength, his one real bargaining chip. If it came to it he’d threaten to shut everything down. And he smiled again convincing himself he was safe.

 

Maybe about two hours later the internal phone buzzed, “there’s Mr Jones to see you,” Julie said.

“Tell him I’m not in,” said James in his very satisfied voice.

“He’s coming through and I can't stop him,” said Julie in a minor panic.

As James hung up the door flew open and Mr Jones came striding in with his black jacket flapping loose and his brown brogues clacking on the hard wooden floor followed by Julie who was shaking her head and continually apologising.

“No matter Julie,” said James and waved her to leave. Then said loudly, “What are you doing here? aren’t you supposed to be looking for something?”

“I’ve new instructions that demanded I came here,” said Mr Jones in his normal cold authoritative voice.”

“I’ve not given you any other orders, have I?”

“No but others have.”

“Others, what others? I employ you. I give you your orders.”

“Unfortunately you’re mistaken, you don’t. Your instructions simply coincide with my brief. I take my orders from elsewhere. Think about it. How did you contact me?”

“They gave me your number.”

“Correct. They gave you the number because they wanted someone to keep an eye on you. Your dealings were becoming a liability. Now though they are a liability and like all liabilities, liabilities like all those Beauchamps, they need to be resolved.”

“But the work I do is essential. They cannot do without me.” James stammered, visibly shaking. Wiping his hand across his sweating brow. The blood gone from his face.

“That’s correct of course but only up to a point. Become a liability and….well, you know, you cease to be essential.” said with that small smile starting to widen and a look of expectation in his eyes.

Mr Jones took his gun from his pocket and started to screw on a silencer as he said, “you understand of course this is just business with no hard feelings.”

James was terrified. Was shouting, pleading. He stood up and started to come around his desk yelling that Mr Jones could have anything just name his price but all that was in vain. Mr Jones simply lifted the gun, pointed at James’s head and for the first time in his career said, “I’m truly sorry.” Then fired two shots with the phut, phut of the silencer barely raising the noise level.

 

 

As Donny raced out of the door Bobby got up and went over to Gloria who was slouched against the wall in a state of shock. Putting his arms around her, holding her close he could feel her kind of shaking with a vibrating sort of shake. He whispered, “it’s ok, it’s ok,” and that was all he said. She was quiet and breathed in one of those long relaxing sort of breaths and then let it out slowly. Very slowly

Then pushed him away and said, “I’m ok,” then after a couple of seconds animatedly continued, “Wow that was something else, wasn’t it. Did you just save my life Bobby? You were very brave,” and looked up into his face with a huge smile, “I assume that was Lilly’s trouble you were talking about. The trouble you said was nothing to worry about. If that’s the sort that’s nothing to worry about then….. Well you watch too many films, don’t you Bobby?”

Lilly was quiet on the sofa and Max was standing in front of her casually brushing down his black jacket and straightening his tie. “I don’t have to hug you and ask you if you are alright do I madam?” he said, reverting to his most formal ways, “I suspect you might not appreciate it.”

“Certainly not Max,” she said with slight indignation, “just the thought….”

“I’ll make tea then, shall I?” he said, “that’s what they all do in these situations, isn’t it? A very British thing to make tea.” And he disappeared into the kitchen.

Gloria was watching and smiling and said, “that’s just so quaint. A butler in a black suit in a small cottage off to make tea. Now, Bobby, that….is really the stuff from movies.”

“You must be Gloria,” said Lilly, standing up and holding out her hand.

“No hand shaking. After all that I think hugs are more the thing, don’t you?” said Gloria holding out both arms.

“Not too tight dear,” Lilly said, “I break easily,” and laughed.

 

Donny came through the open front door still holding his gun and said, “he was too quick. I couldn't catch him.” Gloria looked at the gun so Donny put it in his pocket then said, “Hi Gloria not the reception you were expecting I’m sure.”

“Never seen an Estate Agent with a gun before,” she said as Max came in carrying his tray with five mugs.

“I anticipated your return Donny,” he said, dropping the formal stuff and handing Donny a mug.

“You’re a dark horse and no mistake, aren’t you Max?”

“Sergeant, Royal Marines and the defence of South Georgia. Falklands war,” he said and then added, “Saa,” in a very formal military sort of way and clicked his heels together.

“Well thank you Max you may have saved the day so to speak. That shot scared him off alright.”

“So Donny the Estate Agent. What’s the story then? You owe me an explanation don’t you think?” said Gloria.

Donny went right back to the beginning and told her all about the drug gangs and the money laundering. How he’d been to see Aubrey and Aubrey’s murder. The thing with Bobby getting him involved with Lilly. Then the fake kidnapping and all the stuff with Mr Jones. And of course Freddie when everything became a lot more serious. He told her everything he knew.

When he had finished she said, “so I assume from all that this is not over yet.”

“I don’t think so,” said Donny, “if Mr Jones had found the ledger or Freddie had given it to him I’m sure he wouldn’t have come here this morning. There was no need to take the risk. No he doesn’t have it. The proof I need’s still out there somewhere and we’ve got to find it. This Jones fella…. well he won’t stop looking, that's for sure.” Then he said to Lilly, “I was saying Lilly just before Mr Jones broke in, I was saying if you had remembered anything that might give us a clue. Can you give that some thought? Anything might be important. Anyway, have a think. I’ve got to phone my Guv’nor.”

With Gloria sitting down next to her, Lilly said, “so Gloria what attracted you to Bobby then? He seems to have a natural charm.”

“Oh he’s got charm alright. You know he’s obsessed with old movies, well when we first met he told me all about Gloria Swanson. A real long stream of waffle,” and she laughed at that thought. “Gave me a load of old baloney about how she was beautiful and I didn’t look like a Gloria because he thought all Gloria’s should look like Gloria Swanson. What you think of that then Lilly? Telling me I should look like Gloria Swanson.”

“Sounds like he’s a bit fixated to me,” said Lilly.

“Yup, he sure is,” she said nodding, “but then he went on about a couple of films she was in. Told me the stories in some detail as well. Anyway, he then told me he was revising how Glorias should look because they should now all look like me. Because I was better looking than Gloria Swanson. That’s why all Glorias should now look like me now. Can you believe that? Then he asked me to watch her movies with him. He asked me out I suppose in his weird way of talking. And d’you know I found all this spiel he kept coming out with, I found it all so….well just so crazy that I felt kind of good. You know the sort of good I mean, the sort where you start to go warm inside. Here’s this crazy guy talking all this dribble saying the best chat up line ever and, d’you know, I thought he meant every single word he said. And what’s more he rambles when he speaks.”

“He does and it rubs off doesn’t it? You're rambling just like he does.”

“I know and I’m sorry but I don’t mind. I’m just so excited by him. Is that weird?”

“Not at all. All it means is you just really like him. That’s all.”

“I do. He’s the best thing that’s happened to me for so long I can’t remember.” Then she went on to tell Lilly about her mum and that her mum’s man was a drunk and the place she lived with the high rent and rubbish landlord. How she worked in the pub because at the moment it was the only work she could get. She really liked Sid but wanted something better.

“I know Bobby’s had to sell his house and is going to live with Donny. Maybe you two could get something together?”

“Maybe but I’m not sure we could afford it. Bobby can’t get work and I’ve just got the pub wage which is not much.”

“Well something will turn up, I’m sure.”

After talking with Max a bit Bobby came over, “I see you two are getting on ok all that laughing and smiling. What you talking about?”

“You and films and Gloria Swanson,” said Lilly.

“I love Gloria Swanson,” said Bobby.

“Well there’s a surprise. I’d never have guessed.” said Lilly laughing.

“You know she made a film with Brigitte Bardot in 1956. It was called Mio Figlio Nerone in Italian, which translates literally as My Son Nero but in America it was called Nero’s Weekend. It’s a comedy about Nero taking a trip to a coastal villa where Agrippina, she’s Nero’s mother, and some old philosopher goat called Seneca try to change Nero’s personality. Anyway, it’s a bit of a rubbish film but it’s a landmark in another way. It’s one of Brigitte Bardot’s first major parts and the director….but I can’t remember his name, anyway, the director wants Bardot, who’s a natural brunette, he wants her to be blond and wear a wig but she won’t wear a wig so dyes her hair. It turns out she likes herself so much all blond she keeps it blond after the film. That’s why in lots of photos of her she’s blond and loads of people think she was a blond.”

“Well that’s really interesting,” said Lilly, “I expect it was all shot on some set on a  back-lot in Hollywood.”

“No it wasn’t. For once one of her movies was filmed on location in Rome. It’s where Gloria Swanson got her love for Rome. After the film she went there loads. Often with her daughter.”

And that tweaked something in Lilly. “Rome,” she suddenly shouted and Max looked at her and Donny stalled in the middle of his phone conversation. “Rome,” she continued, “that’s it. Something Aubrey said to me before he left home on the day he was run over. I thought of it when I was having lunch with my friend Viv the other day. He said something about our holiday in Rome. I remember thinking it was so odd that he should mention Rome like that. It wasn’t like him at all. He said what a great time we had there and about all the pictures we took and then he said I should look through the photos so I could remember the good times. There’s a photo album in his study. On the top shelf. There’s loads of them altogether. There must be at least twenty. All our memories in one place is what he used to say. All the pictures of Freddie growing up……” and she went very quiet and started crying, well more of an almost gentle sobbing really.