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Mess, money and corruption
Mess
Walking into the house, the smell hit her, Rachel wondered what had happened here. Dirty dishes piled on the table; clothes thrown on the floor and Milk left out of the fridge. Walking into his office she was confronted by a sea of paper. She could no longer see the pattern on the carpet. This was not like Mike, he was a man who took pride in his appearance and was highly organised. How could his house be in such a mess?
She had last visited months ago. She had sat in his office drinking tea and had admired the colours and swirls in the carpet. Everything had been tidy then, certainly not the mess it was now.
Having been contacted by his neighbour as concerned, Rachel was not sure what to think. Reggie had not seen him for over a week and having let himself into the house had been taken aback by the state of the place. The only number he had was Rachel’s. Phoning the police had seemed extreme.
Now stood here, Rachel did just that. This was not like her brother, where was he?
Police
As Detective George Smith read through the scattered paperwork, photos were taken of the state of the house. It appeared that Mike was involved in finance and large sums of it. Trying to work out what had happened here. Judging by the mess it was obvious that there had been a disturbance and Mike had possibly been taken. Running client names through the police database they were drawing a blank.
His work appeared legitimate, what were they missing? Or had the perpetrator found what he wanted, taking all evidence. He thought about Densmead Finance, he wondered if the answer might lie with his employees.
Densmead Finance
George noted how nervous the receptionist appeared. He introduced himself not wanting to intimidate her.
“Is this about Mike? He’s been missing days.”
“Lizzie, can you go and check on Beth?”
He noted the large man walking towards him and was immediately suspicious.
Reggie
Sat in Reggie’s garden, she could see the police at work in Mike’s house. She had not been allowed to stay but had been advised that they might need her and Reggie for questioning later. Listening to his chatter she had dismissed it as just chatter, nothing important. Until she realised that his observations could be crucial to this case. However, she then wondered what this meant for her brother.
Over the last few months, he had often had visitors and had rarely left his house. He had always remained friendly with Reggie on the odd occasions when he had seen him. Apologising for the noise and then complaining about lack of sleep. So, what did this mean? Who were the visitors? What mess had her brother got himself into?
Densmead Finance
“Has that pesky Policeman gone Bill?”
“Yes, he’s gone. We need to get this cleaned up before they work us out. There’s to much at stake to lose out now”.
“And Lizzie, how did she fair?”
“Ted, that woman is a liability and needs to go, Mike should’ve never hired her”
“We needed a front, we needed a receptionist”.
Lizzie
She had watched the Detective leave. Knowing that something was not right she decided to approach Bill Page, one of the managers. Hesitating at his door she heard her name mentioned.
“There’s not much going on between Lizzie’s ears. She would’ve dropped us all in it if I hadn’t stopped her. She needs to go!”
The tone on his voice was not friendly. She was not as stupid as Bill might think. Walking quickly back to her desk she grabbed her bag and coat and walked out. She didn’t need this job, certainly not one where the boss vanishes and then the staff seem to be in on something. The companies business was finance, she could only imagine that large sums of money were involved.
Heading for the police station she would find the detective again and then possibly take herself on a long holiday. She was not staying around to find out what, she needs to go, actually meant.
Mike Densmead
Sitting in his hotel room, he had fooled the police and his sister. The old guy next door didn’t know anything, and his offices and staff gave the perfect front. Shifting large sums of cash all day had made him a very wealthy man and now he was sat on the heist of the century. Soon they would find his car, burnt out with a body inside and they would assume that he had a nasty accident. The house had been left in a state to give the impression that he was in danger and all-important incriminating paperwork was with him. Not on any hard drive for the police to find.
He smiled as he thought of the office, of the staff who had trusted him, he now didn’t care. He had a new life, and they would all soon not be his concern, he lived by the motto to trust no one.
Densmead Finance
As Bill pushed the button on the photocopier, he heard the familiar whirr and then ticking started. Unsure what was happening he shouted, but it was too late. Set on a timer for this day there was a loud bang as it caught fire along with everything in its wake. Bill was thrown back violently, and the alarms started to sound.
A month later
Not many had survived the Densmead Finance fire. Lizzie had shared what she knew, before leaving to spend time with friends in Edinburgh. Police had found Mike’s car but had not been convinced that it was him inside. Going round in merry circles for a perpetrator they had finally found Mike alive in Spain, he was found on cameras at the airport and then the police had liaised with the local authorities.
Mike had now swapped comfortable living for a police cell. With murder charges, theft and money laundering he would be inside for many years. His smug happiness had not lasted long and now he wanted to be back in his small house with his annoying nosey elderly neighbour and infrequent visits from his sister.
How things change. Looking at the four walls of his cell, he reflected on his life. What a mess he had made of it. Things couldn’t get any worse, or could they? What could be worse than this?
Written for Blog battle -Messy
For more see A perfect ending to a painful day – Blog Battle- Perfect
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The cold truth behind the shoes on the line
Hanging shoes
Was it a tradition? Amanda didn’t know. Lying watching the swinging shoes blowing in the breeze she wondered how long they had been hanging there. The park had always been her go to place. The place that she went to when life got her down. Now lying with her back against the green bank she pondered again about the shoes.
Over the years more had appeared. No notice as to why, they were just, there. She knew there must be a reason for them but so far, no explanation. Who put them there? And why?
Billy
Thinking again about her situation, Billy’s anger going around her head. She knew this was enough this time. After five years of his cruelty, she knew she needed to head home to the life she had left far behind her. To the people that had told her that Billy was bad, but she hadn’t listened. Always thinking she knew best, she had left hoping for her happy ever after. Ignoring calls from family and friends, she had put a wall between them.
This was it; she just had to grab a few things and then leave Wales and return to Kent. Maybe this time she would enjoy driving along the M4, she knew she would feel relief once past the M25.
Picking herself up, she left the hanging shoes, taking a photo as she left. She might never see them again. Deciding to make it her phones wallpaper she smiled to herself.
Home
Returning to the empty house she chucked her clothes in her suitcase, grabbed stuff that was sentimental, especially her old Teddy bear and then put it all in her old Ford. She knew she could do this and though she hadn’t spoken to them in months, she hoped her family would welcome her home.
The drive home had taken longer than she had hoped but seeing the sign for Dartford her heart leapt. It was now that her phone rang, Billy was displayed on the screen. Amanda was not ready for an argument, ignoring the call she let it go to voicemail.
Turning into the familiar road she saw her childhood home up ahead. From the cars in the road, she could see there was something happening. The house was busy, her parents had never liked to have many visitors. She felt a heavy weight in the stomach, something was wrong.
A party?
Parking the car, she let herself in the back door as she always had done. Walking in she was greeted by screams. Her mother passed out as her father grabbed her to avoid her hitting the floor. Amanda stood, shaking, wondering if she should leave again. As her brother grabbed her, he held her and squeezed her hard, she could barely breathe. He then started crying too.
“Is it really you Amanda? Are you really here? Where’s Billy?”
“I left Billy, what’s going on? Why the party?
As her phone rang again, she put it on the counter.
Jerry saw the name on the screen and pushed the answer button. Hearing Billy’s voice he stayed quiet.
“Where are you, you miserable cow?” As his voice echoed around the room, his taunts got worse, Jerry hung up the phone.
“Oh love, has he hurt you?”
“Sorry I had to come home”, Amanda started crying loudly now. Jerry picked up her phone and led her to the front room,
“As you can see everyone the wake is over, please all go home.”
The shocked faces all around her, picked up their bags and awkwardly went. Amanda had not been prepared for this.
Lies
She now learnt that while she had been hurting and taking herself to the park and watching the hanging shoes. Billy had told her family that she had a fatal illness, and they were not welcome to see her. Apparently, she didn’t want to know them. It was Billy who had given her a new phone with a new number, she had thought nothing of it and just took it, Her phone had stopped working and she was talking to very few people on it anyway. Hearing it ring again, everyone looked and let it go to voicemail. Jerry then picked it up to listen. As he swore, they knew something else was wrong.
“Amanda where was this photo taken? Did you take it? Or is it a stock photo?”
“I took it in the park in Swansea before coming home. They have been there months, maybe years. I don’t know why they are there.”
“Amanda, I know we haven’t spoken for a long time but do you do what I do now?”
Amanda looked at him, she hadn’t a clue.
Getting up he took her phone and disappeared to the kitchen.
Jerry
Her dad spoke now.
“Amanda, Billy told us a week ago that you had died, this was your wake. It’s all we could do for you. “
She was shocked, why would Billy do this?
“Jerry is a homicide detective. A washing line with shoes on has appeared in our local park and it appears those shoes belong to suspected murdered persons. Your photo is very similar to what is in our park. It could be that you were about to be dead for real.”
Amanda sat still, surely Billy was not a murderer. Aware that she had not set a password on her phone she suspected that her brother was now sending her photos through to the police station.
What about Billy?
As he paced the room he couldn’t understand where Amanda had gone. He was shaking, how dare could she have left him? Why was she ignoring her phone? Her beloved Teddy had gone so she must be safe, but where was she.? He had ensured no contact from her family; they were rotten anyway. Wouldn’t stop poisoning her against him. He had done his best for her but she kept going out. The town is dangerous, too many gangs, Billy knew about the gangs, He had watched ‘Evil Keith’ add shoes to the clothesline in the park. A threat for the debt that he owed, Money he couldn’t even begin to find.
Amanda had commented to him that she liked watching the shoes blowing in the breeze. It had made his blood boil and he had lashed out. Why say such ridiculous things? If she knew why they were there she wouldn’t be saying that.
Jerry
Having phoned the station and forwarded the photo across, they were now pretty certain that these were gang murders. He had asked for Billy Adams to be put through the police database. Was he involved? He certainly sounded like a nasty thug on the voicemail. As Amanda’s phone rang again he ignored it. He breathed a heavy sigh as his phone rang again.
Billy Adams had been in trouble with the police, but it had been burglary not murder. He appeared to be up to his neck in debt. He had also been caught in a fight with local gang leader Keith Walker but had been found innocent of causing affray. It had been reported that he owed him money, but that was all they knew. He knew that name, it had come up before in this case.
As Amandas phone rang again, Jerry now answered it, waiting for Billy to talk first.
“Mand where are you? Why you left? What’s going on? “
“Billy, this is Jerry, she is safe, but we need to talk.”
“Why what’s going on?”
“I’ll be in Swansea tomorrow, meet in the Dog and Duck at 11am, okay? This is important.”
“Okay, I’ll meet you, what’s this about?”, he was suspicious.
“Will tell you tomorrow, see you then.” He hung up the phone., if anyone knew anything about this case, it sounded like Billy did. As long as Billy turned up of course, but if he didn’t he would soon find him.
Dog and Duck
As they sat quietly drinking beer, Jerry trying his best to be civil, he hated this man. He learned that the gangs were rife in Swansea, and the clothesline of shoes was put there by evil Keith Walker. He learnt that Billy owed him fifty grand and was terrified of his own shoes being added to the line. A debt that he certainly could not repay. Keith appeared to be in charge of the gangs up and down the country.
“Right, I’m going to keep you out of this but I need two favours, 1. Where will I find Keith and 2, Stay away from my sister. Once we put Keith and his gangs away you are debt free, is that right.”
“Yes, that’s right, but I love Amanda.”
“Stay away from her, I mean it! Or we will be after you too. Keep yourself clean! ”
Three weeks later
After liaison between Swansea and Dartford, the gang members had all been caught. Keith when brought in for questioning had turned out to not be as tough as he had made out, and quickly the rest of the gangs had been found. With no sense of loyalty to his mates, if he was going down then they all were.
The shoes out of respect had all been taken down and were no longer blowing in the breeze. They had learned there were lines of shoes in other counties as well, the gangs had been busy.
Amanda was now happily back with her family. She didn’t need the stress and pain from Billy. Jerry was relieved to have is sister back home and to have solved a gruesome countywide case. The murderers were now all behind bars where they belonged.
Billy
Billy now able to live on his benefit money day to day, vowed to get a proper job. Borrowing and begging money was not for him anymore. As he now sat on a bench watching some children happily playing and listened to their cries of laughter as they shouted to each other, he thought about what he had lost. Why had he done such awful things to Amanda? Why did he change her phone and why tell her family that she was dead?
Jerry had been pleasant; he could have put him behind bars as well. Looking at his can of cola, he thought about his own mental health. Would a sane man have done all that stuff? Crying he looked at his phone. Scrolling through it he found his GP and dialled. He needed to get himself sorted. Get his life back on track, be a decent human being, be normal. As the receptionist answered, he could taste his tears. This was it, he needed sanity, and he was going to start here, a day at a time, Jerry had given him a second chance and he was now going to take it.
Written for Write the story prompt on Writers Unite
For more see, A snowy wood nightmare
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A snowy wood nightmare
Snowy Wood
This was it, all the planning and packing for a trip away and it snows. British weather is unpredictable, and the idea of a romantic break had sounded fun. This was far from fun. The brochure showed a sunny cabin in a wood. A beautiful remote location. Have to admit it is beautiful, but in the snow it is cold and lonely. The hut has no heating and there is no one else around here for miles.
My car had struggled up the snowy dirt track to get here, so I didn’t fancy the risk of going out unnecessarily. The brochure should have advised that we need an off-road vehicle. Not a twelve-year-old Ford.
Sitting on the porch I tell myself that I am lucky to be here. If it had not snowed, I wouldn’t be sat here sulking. Hearing my name called, I reluctantly now stood up and went inside. Nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to hear.
The evening news had just started. Barry was sat with his mouth open. The news reporter was stood in a wood, our wood, covered in snow. I sat down, my legs shaking like jelly. I could see the people dressed in white suits behind him. A dog walker had discovered a body, and they were thinking it was a holiday maker staying nearby.
We can’t leave just yet as its snowing outside now and we risk getting stuck if we attempt it. Hearing a knock at the door, I look at Barry, should we ignore them? As they knocked again, Barry got up,
“It might be the police.”
Barry
As he left to answer the door, I sat back and watched the news. I now learnt that there had been disappearances all over the nearby village. The holiday maker had been one of many, had she been staying here? If she had, all her stuff had gone, maybe her killer had covered his tracks. Remembering Barry, I got up now to check on him. All was quiet and the door was wide open. Feeling sick, anxiety shooting through me, where is he?
Slowly walking now, I glance outside, no signs of Barry. I was alone, what now? do I shut the door? Do they know I’m here? Pulling out my phone I can feel the tears now chasing down my face.
“911 emergency, which service would you like please?”
“Police, my husband has been murdered.”
Had he been? He wasn’t here.
“Mam, where are you?”
“In a cabin, in the wood on the news. Stammering I’m thinking the worst.”
“I’m sending two officers out. Inspector Williams and PC Jones. They will be carrying ID and have matching bands on their cuffs. Please don’t panic!”
Don’t panic, my husband has disappeared. He went to answer the door and vanished. Hearing a police car outside I wondered how they got here so quick. Then I remembered the police presence surrounding the body.
Answering the door, the lady officer motioned me to come out. Trusting her, I told them my story. As I relaxed and talked, I let my guard down. As I talked the lady put her arm around me and they walked me to the car. They then offered to help find Barry, Getting into the car, all I could think about was finding him safe.
The police
Williams brought the jeep to a stop outside the small hut. Seeing the door wide open he felt uneasy.
“Jeff, she’s not here, that hut is empty.”
“Where would she have gone?”
“I don’t know but she’s not here. Something’s really wrong”.
Jeff Williams got out of the car and checked the hut, finding it empty he closed the door behind him.
“Follow the tyre tracks, Julie, she can’t have gone far.”
Julie Jones had been a Police Constable many years and had seen things that would cause nightmares. The latest series of murders had confused the police as they appeared to all be random. Following the tyre tracks they drove for about a mile around the wood. Entering into a further deserted area Jeff put his foot on the brakes as he saw what looked like a police car ahead. The car was stopped at what looked like a farmhouse. Was this where the couple were? And where the murder suspect might be?
Julie radioed through for more officers and gave their location.
“Now we need to sit and wait,”
Help
About fifteen minutes later a helicopter could be heard and then cars, speeding towards them. Julie and Jeff picked up their guns and took it now as their time to get out and join the other officers. As the helicopter landed, someone ran out the back of the farmhouse, soon to be caught and handcuffed.
As the police entered, the stench of flesh and fear met them. What really was the sense in all of this? Hearing a woman wailing they followed the noise, Realising it was coming from the basement down they went.
Found
I have never been so scared ever in my life. Being captured and then dragged into this basement was not on my agenda this week. Barry is next to me alive but unconscious, Hearing the people arrive upstairs I worried that this was it, this really was the end.
As PC Julie Jones took my hand, relief flooded through me. She advised that the men had been captured upstairs and I was safe now. I told her that I really should not have got into their car. Julie reassured me that if I had not got in their car, then they might not have followed the tyre tracks and found us as quickly as they did. Tracks that wouldn’t have been there if there was no snow.
Later
A few weeks later I found a news article about the farmhouse. The men had been at their gruesome business for a while. There was more than one body found and body parts. We had been lucky but next time that Barry wants to go on a romantic weekend anywhere, I think we will opt for a busy hotel with a swimming pool. Not a remote idyllic snowy wood.
Written for Write the story prompt on Writers Unite
For more see The empty school classroom
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