Sunday, February 28, 2016

ANOTHER SHORT STORY FOR CLASS

“I really must clean up this joint”, he thought as he surveyed the messy office. “I guess my wife Melina is right after all.  Who would want to hire me with such a dumpy looking place?”

Halfheartedly he tried to straight up his desk.  He moved things to a pile on one side and then shoved them into a basket to sort later.

A knock on the door  started him.

“Come in”, he said gruffly.  

“Mr. Jenkins, Mr. Peter Jenkins”, the woman queried.

“Yes, that’s me.  What can I do for you?”

“I’d like to hire you to tail my husband.”

She was a flashy looking dame.  Make up slathered on her face, too red lipstick outlining her mouth, short skirt which left nothing to hide, and long cheap earrings hanging from her ears.  

“Sit down and tell me about it.” He motioned to the only seat which did not have a pile of papers on it.

Her long legs, clad in black stockings, crossed  themselves as she lit a cigarette and puffed on it.  The smoke curled upward as she leaned towards him and fixed him with a stare.

“The rat is fooling around with a young  blond thing.  I want you to catch them in the act and take incriminating pictures. My friend Jennifer has told me all about you and your price is right.”  

I took the particulars and agreed to do the job but there was something which really surprised me.   It fact, in spite of my years of experience in the field, it was the first time I was tasked to track this type of situation.

I could certainly understand why she was upset.  

He was easy enough to locate as his wife said he was a creature of habit and he always did the same things each day.His gym, the library, and sometimes he went to Tim Hortons.  Time seems to drag, as the days pass, and nothing unusual was happening.  He was always alone. I hate the heat and I feel like I am melting into the seat of my car with the sun shining through the window.  In the evening, it is cooler and there are not so many people around.  I like that the best.Not the best time for surveillance though.

It was on a Thursday when I spot him coming out of the gym.  He was with a young blond person and they got into a jeep and sped away.  I reved up my car and tailed them trying to avoid being seen.

I was a few car lengths behind when it happened.  

I open my mouth to yell “look out” as the young person tries to beat the oncoming police car. Why I yell out is beyond me as I am a couple of cars behind them. Instinct, I guess.

I shudder as the jeep and the police car collide violently. I will always hear that noise, the grinding of the metals together, and the horrific sound as the two vehicles hit each other.   

Other drivers got out as did I.  Both vehicles were in pretty bad shape.  I see the young blond person through the shattered glass. Blood was flowing freely from the cut in his neck - the windshield glass had cut his jugular vein. Other drivers were trying to help the policeman but he was slumped over his steering wheel and was not moving.  Somebody had called 911 and I could hear the sirens as they approach the area.




I had a job to do and I had to do it before the ambulance and police came.  I saw my target, tears streaming from his eyes, tried to revive his passenger as I snapped the photo which would prove that they were together.  Another shot, him kissing and cuddling the prostrate form  -  the anguish on his face tragic to see, even for a hard boiled private eye such as me.  I was an expert in using the small camera which I palmed in my hand.  Nobody noticed as everybody was distracted.

I see the love in his face and the pure agony as his lover was taken away, still as death, with no vital signs.  There was no high pitched whine of the siren in a rush to get the patient to the hospital.  The form covered with a sheet.  

A broken man, unloved by his wife who only wanted vengeance for him loving another man - the young blond fellow, whose life was over.

No comments: