A Crime Story - 2

It must have been a few minutes I sat in my car watching house number five. I looked at my watch decided I would give myself another minute before I’d go and knock on the door. For the past two weeks the weather forecasts had been correct. It wasn’t midday yet, but the beads of sweat were already popping out beneath my hairline.

Number 5 was a terraced house made distinct by the unruly hedge that plied itself at the sides and front of the house. A gate that only hung on one hinge swayed unsteadily in what little breeze there was. I got out of the car, shifted the gate and walked across the cracked paving stones to the front door. The number five was brass plus the letter box and door knob were all covered in a web of rust, and the grey door was long over due for a new coat of paint. As I pressed the doorbell, I walked towards the gate disturbing the flies competing over scraps of waste spilt from the wheelie bin. The door opened and a head topped with grey hair, almost matching the colour of the front door, emerged. A woman, straining to see who it was, disappeared for a few seconds then came out letting the door close behind her.

‘Mrs. Wright, good morning.’

‘Mornin’, mornin’, she answered without giving me too much of a glance. She was a slight woman with grey hair that was frazzled due to the hot weather. The opened cream jacket revealed a thin blouse and her flowery skirt just missed her ankles. I tried not to stare and rushed to open the car door to let her in. As I walked around to my own side, I could feel doubts slowly filling my mind, like a loose tap dripping water into an empty sink.

‘It’s a nice day.’ I said closing the door. She sat, huddled as if the weather temperature had suddenly dropped. Then she turned and looked at me.

‘It alright.’ She pulled the jacket tightly across her body and snatched glances whenever I wasn’t looking. Her unlined skin was the colour of a heavily milked coffee, and strips of movable flesh hung around her mouth. I would guess her age to be late 60s and her eyes, surrounded by loose skin, mirrored a life time of experiences that only she could talk about. Closely inspecting her face, I felt I’d seen her somewhere before. I shifted myself in my seat feeling that I should say something, otherwise we’d be sitting here in silence.

‘Mrs. Wright, so how can I help…..? ?’

‘…I want you to kill somebody.’

It took me forever to connect to what she had said. The words were delivered in a matter of fact sort of way, almost as if she was saying she had a headache.

‘Wh-What?’

‘You heard me!’

‘I thought you said you saw my ad in the paper. If you had, then you’d know that I’m a private investigator not a contract killer!’ She lowered her head and started rubbing her thumb over each of her nails. Her hair stood out like an electric charge had coursed its way through her body and her bony knees hugged together tight. Then she raised her head steadily and her eyes shone as another idea came to her.

‘Well, you know somebody who will?’

I bit my lip hard trying to stop any smile that wanted to escape. ‘No I don’t.’ Still huddled although the tightness of her knees. When I looked back at her eyes there were tears.

‘Why don’t you tell me what the problem is, maybe I could help?’

‘I really don’t know what to do. I just don’t know what to do.’ Her tears were full and her lean body trembled. She struggled with her bag looking for a tissue. I stretched over to the back seat and pulled some tissues from a Kleenex box and handed them to her. ‘It’s my son in law. Or my ex son in law, I should call him. I have a daughter call Doreen who lives in Wood Green with her son, Jason, and she was married to one Winston. Winston Taylor is his full name. They get divorced sometime back and she get the house and custody of Jason but that didn’t stop Winston from going ‘round there and beat her up. He always beat her up. That’s why she lef’ him. The last fight they had, he push her head through the glass window. Can you imagine? She had to go hospital and get ten stitches sew into her forehead. She made up some lie to the Doctor about what happened but she threatened Winston she’d go to the police, if he didn’t leave them alone. Tell him she would get an injunction. I was there when she said all that but all he said was, Jason wouldn’t be at home. He’d be gone with him. Doreen didn’t take him seriously but I saw that look. The look he gave whenever he was serious. I felt I had to do something.’ She paused then her body started to tremble again as she began to cry. A desperate, batty woman came to mind. I shifted over and placed my arm around her shoulder, drawing her close to me as I did. As I hugged her, I could feel her bones drilling into me. I gently pulled myself away from her.

‘So you think by bumping Winston off would solve the problem?’ I asked evenly. She pulled at the tissue, looking for a part that had not been used then dotted it around her face. She kept her head down then sniffed. ‘I hate any threats of violence towards women, or anybody for that matter. But that’s all he’s done so far. They are just threats, and Doreen’s taken care of that by threatening him back with an injunction. And as for Jason, if Winston did disappear with him, he knows he would be breaking the law, and I promise you, he wouldn’t get very far. It’s just an empty threat. I wouldn’t take it seriously.’ She continued to sniff so I placed my arm on her shoulder but she lifted her head and shrugged off my arm. Her eyes told me my attempt to calm her had been futile.

‘You don’t know this man. You don’t know what kind of bastard he is! He’s been with my daughter for nine years. The amount of arguments we’ve had each time he leaves my daughter in a mess! I know you think….I’m stupid but I can’t just sit back and do nothing.’ I leaned against the car door.

‘And killing Winston would be doing something? Winston must die?’ And how do you think Doreen would feel – her mother locked up jail? And then Jason. What about Jason? Him having to live with the shame of his grandmother locked up in jail for the murder of his father? I don’t think he would be too happy about that. Do you?’ She chewed her lower lip and then gave me a look. She wasn’t satisfied and irritated that she was lost for words. ‘Look I’ll tell you what I’ll do. Why don’t I ask around and see if there’s a problem.’ There was no smile but the beast within that looked ready to erupt had been stilled. She opened her bag and pulled out a cheque book, her wallet and some scruffy looking books.

‘I’m afraid I don’t have any of those credit cards. Everybody keep tell me that I must get one but I find them confusing.’ She rummaged through her bag, turning over everything that was in it.

‘What are you doing?’

‘Well I have to pay you don’t I? How much you want’? I’ve got my savings and there is money in my cheque account….’ She stopped what she was doing and looked at me, noting the confusion on my face. ‘..I’ll give you half now and give you the remaining when you’ve finished.’

‘Asking around, Mrs. Wright is free of charge. I need to find out if there is a case first then if there is, I will tell you what I charge.’ Her face tightened as she looked over me with scrutiny.

‘All right’, she said finally, chucking her things back in and snapping her handbag shut. ‘Lemme give you my daughter’s address and my own numbers. And where her ex is staying. Is there anything else you need?’

‘No, not for the moment. If I need anything else, I’ll know where to contact you.’ She searched for a pen and paper, and in the end I gave her a pen and a note pad. She hurriedly wrote down the details and handed them to me. She looked at me with her eyes lifted and the edges of her mouth in an attempted smile.

‘Thank you. Thank you so much. I’m grateful.’

‘I haven’t done anything yet. Just let’s see what happens, all right?’ Mrs. Wright had already opened the car and stepped out. Wearing a full smile that transformed her into a different person, I waved goodbye and turned on the ignition.

When I got home, I went straight to my bedroom and looked over what Mrs. Wright had given me. I checked my watch reminding myself any second Linton would soon be knocking at the door. I opened the draw and put the information under some notes and closed it back.