Chapter 17

Much to Mavis’s displeasure Andy missed breakfast. He had got up early and showered. Remembered to uncover the lavender pot and the room was already smelling sweet but thick and claggy and that made him cough. He grabbed his navy jacket but put on smart tan chinos. His good black shoes followed. Brushed his hair. Felt the gun and smiled. Even though it was old and he didn’t know if it would fire it gave him confidence.

Then out of his room and down the stairs and hearing Mavis rattling about he knocked on the kitchen door and told her he was not in for breakfast. He grinned when she whinged but she did at least say it would not go to waste.

Walking briskly through the streets he arrived at the seafront then walked along the esplanade looking at the sky. It was grey and still and he thought it might rain but the horizon was looking brighter. Maybe it would brighten up later. The buildings facing the sea were just coming alive. There were a few people coming out of the hotels for a stroll before breakfast. A young couple were leaning on the railings. She had her arm around his waist kind of snuggled up. He was playing with her hair and talking. Her left foot was resting on her toe with her knee bent. They had a look of happiness about them and that made him feel good and he thought of Peta and was surprised she had cropped up into his thoughts. He thought he missed her and that surprised him some more.  

Arriving at The Grand about 8.25 he went straight in through the revolving doors and up to reception. He saw the two ladies come down the stairs and across the foyer to the lounge but could not see where they were going to sit. One was Jane Somerton, the other dark shorter and slim. They were holding hands. They must be good friends. That would complicate things Andy thought and was already thinking how he could get into Jane’s room and deal with both of them. Complicated.

The man behind reception said, “Can I help you sir?”

Andy said, “I’m thinking of bringing my family here. Can you give me your room rate please.” And Paul showed him the rates and explained the room differences but Andy was only half listening. He could see Jane Somerton but that was all. She was nodding looking at someone who must have been talking.

Paul said, “Is that all clear Sir?”

Andy said, “Thank you. I’ll be in touch and moved to leave but swung over a bit so he could see through the door a bit more and caught a glimpse of Eddie. Pulled back quickly and headed for the exit then turned and walked back towards the reception desk and said to Paul, “OK if I just peek in the restaurant just to get an idea of your facilities.”

“That’s no problem Sir. If you need anything else just ask.”

From the restaurant entrance Andy could see the two detectives talking to the two girls and he saw Jane give the blond one the package. It was risky standing there but they would have to strain to see him and they knew he was about so there would be no surprises if they spotted him. They would be expecting it. And that was another problem. He saw them move so headed straight for the doors and out muttering under his breath all the expletives he could manage and looking at a big payday drifting out to sea. 

He moved quickly down to the road towards the sea then went left taking a different route into town. The old pub where he had seen the detectives was open with a sign on the pavement saying breakfast. Inside it was gloomy and all the lights were on. People at a few tables filled the place with enough noise. A waitress wearing a dark blue apron over jeans and crisp white shirt was serving a family with a couple of kids. The kids were loud but in a nice way. The rest of the tables were couples with low murmurings. A waiter at the bar rattled cups with the coffee machine hissing. Andy sat at a table towards the back where he could watch the room but in an out of the way place. The menu was stuck in a plastic slot at the side of the table next to the condiments. It was full of options that suggested you could have anything you wanted in any way you wanted.

The waitress finished with the family and came over. Smiled an early morning weary smile. The kind that suggested she was anticipating another tough day that she was already fed up with. Her shoulders were slumped and it was still early. She tried to sound chirpy but missed the mark, “Hi. You look hungry. What’s it to be?” she said. No waitress small talk. It was going to be a just a matter of fact, let's get this done conversation.

“Coffee and a bacon roll if the roll is one of those floured ones. Double bacon please and can you bring ketchup with that. I like a good squirt of ketchup.”

“That all? No juice? What about toast? Is that normal coffee and do you want milk?”

“Normal just black coffee please with a double hit in a mug if you’ve got one.”

He was thinking fast. Those fellas had the package. No doubt about that. And the other lady. That was unexpected. But it could be an advantage. He needed leverage but how to get it. He needed a vehicle. And he needed George. Then he could go to work. He needed to rent a car. His phone lit up as he turned it on and searched car rental. He phoned the nearest and worked his way out until he found one that could be collected that day. 

 There was no smile when his order was dumped on the table. Just a quick, “There you go”. But who cares, it's just food and a smile should mean something. A fresh roll with that crispy bacon that crunches when you bite into it. A good squirt of ketchup. Perfect. That great coffee and bacon breakfast smell. Thirty minutes and as he got up he left a tip for the waitress thinking to cheer her up. But then thought by the looks of her that was futile but left it anyway. Paying at the bar he then headed back to his B&B to wait for George. He stopped at a hardware store and picked up a roll of black insulation tape. They would collect the car after one. If George did not arrive he had no choice. He would have to go back to London and kiss this all goodbye. On his own it would not be doable. He managed to avoid Mavis and settled in the front room hoping that George would arrive.

Around 11.30 he heard the front door bell and Mavis was coming down the hall. She opened the door and said, “You must be George. Come on in. I need you to sign the book. What’s your surname?” 

George said it was Smith in his deep voice that echoed over the hard surfaces of the hallway. Mavis looked at him in his black T-shirt and jeans and biker boots with the small holdall clutched in his hand. If she was suspicious of anything she did not say so. She just said his room was first on the right upstairs and then all the other house rules.

Andy came out of the front room nodded a thanks at Mavis then said, “Hey George you made it. Come in here.”

“My money. The monkey,” was the first thing he said. “Is there anything to eat,” was the second.

“The cash is upstairs and we can get something when we’re out. We’ve a car to pick up. You're alright to go straight out?” Andy said and George just nodded.

The ten fifties were part of the cash under the baseboard of his bag. He got George sorted in his room then they went into town to find a cab. George picked up a bag of pies, doughnuts and water from a bakers that Andy paid for.

The cab took them the few miles to an out of town garage. Two shut down pumps on the forecourt and a workshop behind green double doors that looked greasy. Next to that a few rough looking cars were parked with prices on their screens in front of an old glass fronted building with clapboard walls and a look of destruction about to happen. The man in a work shiny suit and loose yellow tie in the showroom took them out the back and pointed to a clapped out looking blue Ford Focus. 

“That’s the one,” he said, expecting Andy to complain but Andy just said it was perfect, signed the papers, took the keys, fired it up and revved out onto the road and the route back to town. Back in town and driving along the seafront road he drove past The Grand up to the top of the hill and into the main large car park. It was half full with most of the cars parked near the front end facing the sea, Towards the back were recycling and charity clothes bins. He pulled up next to these and pointed at the space in the corner where another bin might have once been placed. “There he said. That’s where we’ll pull up.”

George said, “what’s the plan then Boss. How’s this package to be got.”

“We’re going to snatch a lady and use her as leverage. Simple as that.” 

“I don’t mind rough stuff but I ain’t going to get mixed up with hurting a lady. Just making that clear.”

“We won’t need to hurt her. It’s all bluff. We’ll only need to hold her for an hour then we either get the package or let her go. Then we think again if we don’t get it. That’s it. There’s no way this lady will be harmed. Violence is not my thing.”

Getting out of the car Andy took the roll of tape from his pocket and cut off two inch strips. On the front and back number plates he changed the F to an E, the P to a B and the 1 to a 7. 

“Not bad,” he said, “from a distance or a quick glance that will do the job.”

Getting back into the car he drove the half a mile or so to the road by The Grand and parked in a spot a bit down from the hotel driveway. On the downhill side Facing up towards the hotel. The way pedestrians would go from the hotel to the seafront. 

He said, “It’s 2.45 now so we wait here as long as we can. Hopefully there will be two men and two girls coming out. If they come down this way we snatch the shorter dark haired girl. The two men are tough so don’t underestimate them but won’t intervene if we grab the lady. They won’t want her hurt. You happy with this? If not, say so now. There’s no other plan. There’s no other way you’ll earn the cash. There’s an extra grand if we pull it off.”

“This is all cool,” said George, “Easier work than I’m used to. We just don’t hurt the lady.”