Short Stories

I have always considered myself as lucky. Sure, I get some hard times, but somehow it always comes out right in the end. That’s the secret I guess, always look for the good part and you will generally find it.

And that’s what happened one day last week when a knock on the door presented me with someone who matched the expression ‘man mountain’ perfectly. Now I am not short, just over 6 feet, but this guy towered over me, and he would have had to turn sideways to fit through the door. Fortunately he didn’t seem to want to and he just looked at me and said, “I have been asked to tell you to keep your nose out of business that doesn’t concern you. And I don’t want to have to come back.”

With that, he left. And I just watched him go. I am not easily frightened, but this was definitely serious. The only problem was that I hadn’t had a case for over a week and I hadn’t a clue what he was referring to. I racked my brains to try to think of anything I might have investigated recently that could still have any loose ends, but it wasn’t until the phone rang that I remembered that time, all those months back, when I had received a call that had been meant for someone else. I wondered if it was related as I picked up the receiver.

“I hear you have been in an accident that wasn’t your fault,” the mechanical voice chanted. I put the phone down, angry at the interruption by the stupid scam call. But at least it had reminded me of the mix up that had almost got me killed before. I still couldn’t see any connection though, unless the bent copper had been released from his prison term, or escaped perhaps. I called the local police station and left a message for my friend there, Simon, to call me as soon as he could.

There was nothing else I could do, I still needed a case but with the gorilla lurking around, how was I to know if any client might be the ‘business I needed to keep my nose out of’? Food makes me think better, so I decided to go down to my local café for a late breakfast.

I had just arrived at the café and was about to go in, when my phone rang - it was Simon. I told him what had happened and asked if anyone involved in the previous case had been let out of prison. He promised to look into it, but asked me to describe the gorilla to him.

“Sounds like Arthur,” he told me. “One of Jim’s heavies. But they are into large scale thefts, safe cracking, that kind of thing. Not the sort of business you are normally mixed up with. Leave it with me and I will get back to you as soon as I can.” And with that he rang off and I headed for that ‘Full English’ that was waiting for me.

Kate’s café was more crowded than normal, but my favourite place in the window was empty so having asked Kate for my usual, I sat myself down.

I hadn’t been there long when a lady entered the café, looked around and then came over to where I was sitting. “Do you mind if I sit here?” She asked me. I could see there were no empty tables and there was plenty of room for her so I said yes, pleased to have the company if the truth were told.

Kate came over for her order. “You’ve found him then,” she said as she arrived. “What would you like to order?”

I looked at her, thinking about the gorilla and how she might fit into it all. She placed her order and then turned to me.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “My name is Susan, I came in here earlier looking for you and Kate said she would tell you when you were next in.”

“She must have forgotten,” I replied. “How is it you think I might help you?”

“I have a friend, Mary, who you helped before. She said you might be able to help me. My boyfriend, Jason, has been accused of stealing from the art gallery where he works,” she told me. “He has been there for almost ten years and it hurts that they think it could have been him, but they called the police when they discovered the theft and he was arrested. He was taken to the police station where they charged him.”

Our food arrived then so I had some time to think. Simon had said the guys the gorilla worked for were into theft and safe cracking so was this the case I was to keep out of?

“What is it he is accused of stealing?” I asked her between mouthfuls.

“A gold amulet,” she replied. “As well as an art gallery, they are also a small museum and were lucky enough to be able to display the amulet for a month as part of their Egyptian display.”

“If it was valuable, was it not guarded?”

“Yes, they brought their own secure cabinets, and there were guards there when the exhibition was open.”

“So how and why do they think he might be involved?”

“He’s a key holder and the theft was at night. And the police say there was no break in.”

“There must be other key holders surely?”

“Yes, but they all have alibis for the night in question so they ended up accusing him.”

“You don’t live together then?” I asked. “So you can’t vouch for his whereabouts that night?”

“No, we have been friends for a long time, but only started being more serious a few months back.”

It was beginning to sound like it could be the case I was supposed to avoid, but I have never liked being told what to do, gorilla or no gorilla.

“I take it he is locked up on remand?”

“Yes, he sees a magistrate next week and then he might get bail, but for now, I am all the real help he has. They have appointed a solicitor, but he doesn’t seem to be that good.”

“I’ll be honest with you,” I said. “I had a visit from someone who told me to keep my nose out of what I think might be this case.” I saw the look of disappointment on her face and continued. “But I have never liked being bossed about so although I will need to be a bit more careful than normal, I’ll see what I can find out for you. You will need to tell me all you can about the gallery and also your boyfriend.

She told me all I needed to know for the time being and gave me her phone number before leaving me to finish my late breakfast. I have to admit I was feeling nervous about the man mountain, but I can never turn a case down, I need the money.

I waited until I got home before phoning Simon again and filling him in.

“Well we do have the guy here if you want to talk to him,” he told me. “The only thing against him really is that he does have a record from a long time back, and he has no alibi for that night.” He paused, “Do you think this might be connected with the visitor you had?”

“I think it might do, but I am still at a loss as to how they might have known I could get dragged into it before I had even met Susan. What is this Jason’s previous?”

“His biggest problem is he gets mixed up with the wrong crowd. He is easily led. When he was a teenager he got done for some petty thefts, then he did some thefts from offices, but nothing very big. But he has a brother who is connected to Jim and his thugs, so there is a connection there.”

“But how did they know I might get involved?”

“Maybe when we find that out, we might find out who really did the theft,” Simon said, confirming that he didn’t think Jason was the one.

“Susan told me that it was Mary who had recommended me to her,” I told Simon. “Do you remember, she was the one that helped with the corrupt councillor. Could there be a connection there?”

“I’ll look into it and get back to you,” Simon told me and rang off.

It was actually only an hour before Simon called me back. “Mary has a cousin who we think is involved in Jim’s setup. It is possible that she told him about the theft and said she was recommending you. Maybe you had best have a chat with her,” he suggested. I thanked him and rang off before calling Mary.

“Thanks for recommending me to Susan,” I said after I had told her who I was.“

“I wasn’t sure it was up your street, the police should get it straightened out, but she was so upset I had to do something to try to help her. I had spoken to my cousin first, but he had told me to leave it to the police. But he hadn’t seen how upset Susan had been.”

“Well thanks,” I said. “I will do what I can to help her anyway.”

I called Simon back and told him what Mary had said. “Can I come in and have a chat with this Jason?” I asked.

“Of course, I am here until 2 so come before then if you can.”

I decided to go straight there and Simon took me to the cell where Jason was. I got straight to the point. “How much are they paying you to take the rap for this theft?”

He looked at me straight in the eye and I could see he was more scared of them than he was of me.

“You’ll go down for maybe ten years, lose any hope of a job afterwards, and probably lose Susan as well,” I told him. “Is it worth it?”

“I’ll still be alive,” he said.

“I’ve met Arthur,” I said. “And I don’t like the idea of being on the wrong side of him either. But I also don’t like being threatened so I plan on bringing them down, whether you help or not. If you change your mind I am sure Simon will be pleased to listen.”

Simon called me again that evening. Jason had decided to talk and the investigation had moved on to Jim and his gang. Jason was still on remand, but that was more for his protection than anything else.

I called Susan and told her that things will be OK and to talk to Simon. And there I left it. I had done my job and it really was up to the police now. Hopefully my gorilla friend would also go down with the rest of them.