Chapters 9-10 of End Game

Chapter 9 Catch 22

If he gave up the secrets, a lot of people would suffer, lives would be affected, possibly ruined. He knew the sensible thing would be to call the Police, but the wrong move now could prove disastrous in more ways than one. This required thinking about. He picked up his mobile phone from the carpet and scrolled through the names in there, stopping abruptly and tapping tunelessly with his thumb. He suddenly snapped the phone closed and threw it back on the table.  He looked down at the carpet and his vision suddenly blurred. He felt the first tear slide slowly down his cheek. He wiped his hand swiftly, angrily across his eyes. He couldn’t afford to go to pieces like this. He had to be strong. She needed him, like she had never needed him before. Together they would get through this.

The first light of dawn was beginning to creep over the horizon, a huge sigh escaped him. He couldn’t sit here forever, things had to go back to normal, and the children would be back soon. They couldn’t know there was anything wrong, but how to hide it from them. Oh well, he would cross that bridge when he came to it. He looked at his watch and then went upstairs to change into his best, most uncomfortable business suit. He had a meeting with a French businessman this morning. Monsieur  Pierre Noir was a multi-millionaire. He walked with a limp, but refused aids of any kind. No one else he did business with insisted on working on a Sunday. This would be the easy part, getting the money he needed would be stage one of securing the safe return of his wife.

Two figures crossed the road and walked up the driveway, causing gravel to spurt everywhere. The key scraped in the lock and the door creaked slowly open. They walked through the door and nearly walked into Darren. He was absently straightening the jacket of the suit, Laurel had ironed for him yesterday, before going out.

“Morning Dad” the blonde haired blue eyed boy said, smoothing down his gelled spikes.

“Morning Edward, Morning Courtney. Good time last night?” Darren replied, a heartbeat too late.

His son nodded and his daughter grunted, moving slowly past him.

“Chatty this morning” Darren commented.  His voice sounding off, even to him. Would they notice?

“Oh never mind her, she fell out with Declan last night” Edward replied.

Darren groaned. Declan was Courtney’s boyfriend, a spotty youth with a shaven head and who went around saying things like “Yo man and “sic”. He was supposed to be studying for a law degree, but hell had a better chance of freezing over than Declan Dawson did of making a success of things. He was too heavily into the drugs scene. They’d met at the University of Northampton, when Courtney had started her nursing course. 

Darren remembered thinking what a dump the halls of residence were. The size of a shoebox, brown carpets, blank off-white walls, bathroom barely big enough for shower, toilet and sink. Step either way and you could bruise yourself on either one. Laurel had pissed herself laughing when he had. She’d gone to the tiny section of the room, which served as kitchen in the bigger rooms and made him a cup of tea, shaking her head at his request she put brandy or whiskey, or both in it.

Afterwards they had found a pub, the King William IV in Kingsthorpe, the next village. Laurel had bought the drinks and had spent ages at the bar, talking to some guy. He’d grumbled about the speed of service, saying that carrying boxes up four flights of stairs, stairs ringed by florescent yellow rails was no mean fight. She’d hugged him playfully and called him “a grouchy old man.”

Darren knew he was remembering all these irrelevant details, because he was trying to work out when the surveillance, there must have been surveillance had began. Everyone was a suspect, the barman, the milkman, the guy who’d asked him the time in the street the other day. His clients, any one of them could be working for the enemy, taking contracts out because the enemy had said so. His employees spying on him and reporting to the enemy.

Chapter 10 Paranoia

He stopped this thought dead. Courtney, what to do about Courtney?  It was Laurel who was good with dramas such as this, not Darren. Declan had expressed a desire to marry Courtney, she thankfully was resisting the urge to settle down. Laurel had visions of some nice young doctor or brain surgeon  sweeping Courtney off her feet and eloping with her to the Seychelles. Laurel was convinced Declan was just a “phase” Courtney was going through, and would come out of without any interference from them.

“All teenage girls are attracted to what’s bad for them, they grow out of it” she had said.

“You didn’t” he’d replied.

“The difference is my prince Charming grew up, so when I kissed the frog, it wasn’t a problem” she’d bitten him playfully on the nose. “So stop playing the worrywart, overprotective father and let events take their course” in a few years we’ll be saying Declan who?” 

“Don’t worry yourself Dad, Mum will sort it, you know what Court’s like. Dramatic as always.” Edward rolled his eyes. Darren nodded mutely.

He’d been brought back to the present with an abrupt, unpleasant bump. He picked up his briefcase and walked out. Edward stared after his father, a look of concern crossing his face. There was something wrong, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on what. He stood irresolute for a minute or two, thinking fast. Then he made for the stairs. He knocked loudly on his sister’s bedroom door.

“I’m fine Dad, Go away. You don’t need to check on me. He’s a pratt. I don’t ever want to set eyes on the loser ever again” Courtney practically screamed.

“Actually it’s Edward. Dad’s at work"

“Oh sorry Ed. Come in. Edward opened the door and went in. His sister was dressed in a nurse’s uniform. Her shift at the hospital was due to start soon. She pinned back her auburn hair in a tight bun on top of her head, wincing slightly as the pins slid in.

“What did you want anyway?” she asked, her mouth full of pins. Edward sat down on the bed and fiddled with the pale lilac duvet.

“Do you think Dad was slightly strange this morning?”

“Not particularly. Dad’s always strange”

“No this was different. He was pale as a ghost, distracted. He put on a good act, but it seemed a little forced. I notice Mum isn’t here either.”

“Well two possibilities. Either they’ve had a row again and she’s stormed out. Wouldn’t be the first time would it?”

“Or?”

“Or you’re imagining things. That wouldn’t be the first time either would it?” Courtney retorted. Edward stuck his tongue out at his sister. “Now if you’ve finished expanding on unfounded theories I’m going to be late for work”

She sighed as her brother didn’t look reassured.

“Listen, if it makes you feel any better, I’ll have a word with Adrian. He saw Dad the other day. Satisfied?”

She waited for her brother to nod and left the room. He stared after her. He really should get ready for work too, he was a bartender in a local pub and was on his last warning. The last thing he needed was to lose his job.