A Choice of Evils Read online

  There was no sign of rain as I got into my car and I was pleased with the evenings meeting. So now that I had Flash gun Terry and the weasel on my pay roll things would soon begin to blossom.

  I could have walked quicker instead of driving. There had been a police chase and an ambulance was blocking the road. I sat in a queue of cars listening to irate drivers honking their horns. A Mercedes sports car was crunched up like a concertina. I was glad Dave didn’t have a car.

  Back home, I beat the carriage clock into bed before it chimed midnight. I had another busy day tomorrow. I needed some eyes to follow Ahmed and I knew just the people for that. Lisa and Laura were two sisters who had failed as actors but they were very good at changing their appearances and I could see a good use for that. I drifted off to sleep telling myself what for?

  4

  Next morning, I realised my nightmare was strangling micky mouse as his alarm laugh awoke me for 7am. I had a love hate relationship with the dam thing. But micky always woke me up with a laugh and wished me a good day. It helped.

  I made haste for the kettle and wondered what the post would bring. It was an idle thought knowing I was not at the top of the popularity polls. I tuned into my daily dose of radio four. I liked to play armchair politics with the newsreader of the day. Today I was hearing about our former prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, telling the country they had never had it so good under the Conservatives. Had It, was more like it, I thought. It was alright for her, a former green grocer’s daughter, talking from behind her millions. Oh, were not chance such a fine thing for us all, I thought. Grab it while you can!

  Having digested the world news from the radio, it was time for my constitutional walk to the paper shop. At least it was dry even though it was cold. Perhaps a meeting in the park with Lisa and Laura would be ok, I thought.

  There was no post when I arrived back home only a note from the post office telling me to collect a parcel. I had been expecting a pair of receivers compatible with the transmitters I had bought. It had to be them. I rang the two sisters giving a brief outline of what I wanted them for. Both were intrigued, but for £200 each it was a chance to test out their skills.

  With the answerphone switched on, I left for the post office depot to collect my parcel. The two voice activated transmitters had arrived. Wherever I placed the bugs they would record and transmit conversations automatically. The worst things in life surely happened behind your back, I mused.

  From there I made my way through the dense traffic to Hyde Park. It was the usual problem finding a parking space but I managed to be not more than five minutes late or early, as I arrived first. Within a few minutes the sisters were walking across the grass towards me. They were so dressed up that it could have been for an audition as they turned on their charms.

  Smiles all round was the best way to describe our meeting. An empty bench nearby would act as our office. As greetings faded into business mode, I went through the story of what I needed from them. I wanted photographs, the house, business and car numbers of Ahmed and Bruce. They would need a few quick change disguises each and a pair of walkie talkies to follow Ahmed after my meeting at London zoo. It was nice to watch the excitement bubble up in their faces. I wanted as much info on them as was possible by 1st Feb’ at 10pm as my meeting with the weasel was on the 2nd Feb’. I knew I was cutting it a bit fine, but this would give me the information the weasel needed to check them out. Once in possession of these facts, I could place my transmitters in their houses and act accordingly to what I would learn.

  Both Lisa and Laura were bursting with questions but I knew that £200 each was worth more than their curiosity. I gave them each a half down payment which earned me a twin smile. They were to make no recognition of me at the zoo and report back at 10pm that night. What they didn’t know was that Flash gun Terry would be clicking at them too.

  After listening to their close encounters with some celebrities and famous film stars, my ears felt a bit sore so I made excuse that I had another meeting to attend. In fact, I had been absent from my typewriter for a few days, so it was partly true. My new novel needed a kick start and my current operations had stimulated my mind. There was no more I could do until the 1st Feb’, so it was a good opportunity to develop the plot. Home then, was where I would spend the next three days.

  I said goodbye to the sisters and watched them walk cheerily away. It wasn’t long before I arrived home to test out the listening devices around my home in different locations. So with some typing and a few experiments, I had plenty to keep me busy. It felt like the old days again when I planned my thieving from home. If only the neighbours knew who lived next door to them, I thought.

  After three days, I came out of my cocoon feeling good with my achievements. I had typed twenty five pages and the transmitter experiments had been perfect. I had been oblivious of time passing and now it was the 1st February. Today was my scheduled meeting at the zoo. I had set the alarm for 9am this morning instead of 7am. A shave, shower, shampoo and a sausage were top of my list. Like clockwork, my ABC checks done, I left home allowing for heavy traffic. Not even the glad tidings of radio 4 could make me late.

  With my mind on the meetings, I left home at 10.30am. As usual, the dreary stop and start journey along the Marylebone road was not without hiccups. Coming through Knightsbridge, I saw the many Arab extravaganzas of Rolls Royce’s and eight seater limousines denoting the wealth of their owners. My old sierra looked a bit out of place by comparison. But right will have its way. Two bumps and a nasty put down look did not leave me wanting for words. Do you know who I am expressions, never impressed me. But their money did! In spite of all this, I reached Regents Park zoo at 11.30 am.

  Flash gun Terry was in his car between the two trees as arranged. I parked away from him and opening my window, dropped the purchased memory cards for his digital camera as agreed. He had noticed me and picked them up as I now entered the zoo. Next I saw two old ladies with large carrier bags by the gate as I paid to go in. I wondered if they had come to live there with all that baggage.

  With twenty minutes to spare, I plotted up behind an ice cream stall opposite the turnstile entrance. A steady stream of visitors came in as a wide variety of nationalities through the turnstiles. If Dr Ahmed had a shadow it would take some finding. It made sense that he would have someone to look after his interests carrying the £50,000.

  At two minutes past midday I saw him. The knuckles of his left hand were tightly white on the handle of his briefcase. He appeared to be his dapper self. Perhaps his hair was trimmed a little closer to the parting. His casual clothes seemed leisurely enough and his gold spectacles reflected in the midday sun. I watched him turn left near to the toilet which is where I met him and shook his hand.

  There was no sign of nerves. A casual observing look at the zoo scenery occupied a few moments of his time. ‘Shall we walk?’ he invited. I agreed. Out of the corner of my eye, two old ladies were sipping an orange juice as we passed them. A tourist photographer was canvassing business nearby. He wore a badge stating he was an official.

  ‘How pleasant it is here,’ Ahmed commented. ‘But I wonder do the animals consider themselves lucky or unlucky?’ I offered a suitable answer. ‘Do they know any different if they are born and raised in captivity?’ We continued to walk.

  ‘Ah yes, captivity is a haunting word,’ he replied. ‘To contain, to hold prisoner. There is a big difference between knowing and not knowing you are a prisoner. Like you Jack, only those who have been a captive will know the difference. We are all hostages of fortune in one way or another. Are we not victims of our genes? Some people are born defective and others more fortunate, but the real enemy to life is man himself.’ I nodded in agreement as we walked on looking at the monkeys and the lions. It was a seductive atmosphere talking about philosophical enigmas.

  ‘I suppose your job is to put right what nature has done wrong.’ I answered. ‘Yes precisely,’ he responded. ‘Science can change the world. Eve
ry small advance is a giant step for mankind. If we can isolate the intelligence genes in our DNA, then one day we shall all be a cloned replica of human perfection, but for now there is much to be done. You can understand why the XP42 formula is so important and I am prepared to pay you well?’ My naivety on this subject was without conscience and so I agreed with his sentiments.

  ‘You have brought my expenses Dr?’ I asked. ‘I will need all the information on Dr Bruce that you can give me.’

  He looked at me smugly. ‘Of course, I anticipated your questions. Here inside this envelope are all the details you will need,’ he said. I took the envelope. There was not much more I wanted apart from the cash, but one thing intrigued me. If Ahmed and Bruce had already worked together on the formula for the same purpose, then at what point did their mutual trust disappear? Why not let Ahmed use the formula independently if the benefit to mankind was ultimately going to be universal? Why would Dr Bruce switch to another laboratory in the middle of an important experiment? Was there more to this than met the eye, I thought. However, it was not my place to question why and as Ahmed was my paymaster, it was not for me to reason why, since I was being paid to get the formula not be thinking about it.

  ‘When do you think you will have a progress report for me?’ He asked. I reminded him that I would be meticulous and time was an advantage to do what I had to do. As soon as I had news or needed to get back to him quickly then I would do so.

  He was happy with my answer and indicated we should visit the toilets. ‘Do you not want to see the contents of the briefcase?’ He smiled. I led the way and found a cubical to examine the contents. It was a lovely to see the neatly stacked bundles of £50 and £20 notes. A new life was before me. Dr Ahmed was cool about the handover. Anyone would think it was the sort of thing he did every day.

  As we emerged from the toilets he spoke again. ‘The balance will of course be paid on handover of the formula. I look forward to developments.’ There was now little more for us to say. Our conversation was concluded, although after a brief handshake, he told me to take care of myself and added, ‘Everything has to be accounted for Jack.’

  I thought I detected a veiled note of caution in his last sentiment. But with £50,000 in my hand, I felt more need to part company rather quickly and so we did. Dr Ahmed walked away glancing at the lions enclosure as he turned a corner. I was not behind him. A wink from Flash gun Terry as I passed him, assured me his camera had not been idle. By the time I got through the exit gate Dr Ahmed was nowhere to be seen. Neither were the two old ladies I had seen earlier.

  Now it was mid-afternoon and my stomach was looking for something to eat. My mouth was already eating a mixed kebab take away before I arrived at the shop near my house. I fared better on my return journey home. Only one put down look from a female driver caught my eye. But that’s what you get for driving an old sierra and being polite.

  I was glad to get back home, park up, collect my kebab and get indoors. The kettle went on the boil for tea while I tucked into my meal. I liked to eat when hungry and not for the sake of eating. As this was the case now, I savoured each mouthful of the lamb cutlets and munched through the salad and pastry. Not a scrap was left by the time the kettle had boiled. Over a cup of tea I pondered the day’s events. Terry and the sisters would be getting in touch later this evening. In the meantime, I slid back my bath panel and deposited the briefcase under the bath. Tomorrow it would go into my bank accounts. Out of sight was out of mind.

  For a while, I gave some thought to the possible places where I could put the transmitters in Ahmed’s and Bruce’s houses. It was important I knew as much about them as possible. I could smell a rat somewhere in the account Dr Ahmed had given me for wanting the formula, yet his story was very plausible. It was not for me to be looking for other reasons why it was worth that price to him. As a professional thief, my job was to get it and not get caught doing so. It was not really any different to any other ‘steal to order’ I had done in the past.

  Later that evening I waited for the phone to ring. At 8pm Flash gun Terry was the first to phone me. He had developed and printed all the pictures he had taken at the zoo and were ready for me to collect. I arranged to meet him at Surrey Quays shopping centre car park at 9pm. He got there before I did.

  As usual, he put the squeeze on me for some extra money. He would have earned more at the wedding reception he had cancelled to help me out, he said. To spare myself the tears I gave him another £20. It was nice to hear I was one of his best mates and I could rely on him at any time day or night, he said.

  Back home, I looked at the photographs. Dr Ahmed would find it difficult to deny knowing me now, I thought. They were good pictures.

  Now I expected the pre-arranged call from Lisa and Laura. At 10 past 10 they rang. They had plenty to tell me but not over the phone. They had taken their films to a one hour developer and together with the other information were ready to hand them over to me. That suited me just fine. We arranged to meet at the Ship and Whale pub in Rotherhithe Street at 10.30pm. That gave me 20 minutes to get there. I had their money ready for them which I knew they would be expecting.

  The sisters were waiting outside when I arrived. There was just time to order a few drinks. A vacant table was in the ideal position so our conversations could not be overheard. After raising our glasses to presumed success, they handed me a sheet of paper full of notes and a pouch of photos. The sisters came straight to the point. ‘From the zoo, we tailed him to his house then onto the Iranian Embassy.’ said Lisa.

  ‘And we got his car number.’ added Laura.

  I was pleased to hear that. It was more than I had expected. The girls gave themselves a good PR saying the acting profession did not know what they were missing. I agreed and handed over the rest of the money I owed them. We all promised to get in touch again if and when other things came up that I could utilise them for. I agreed to drop them off at home, and shortly after, I was on the other side of my own front door.

  Glad to be home, I sat down to evaluate the day’s events. It had been a busy one. Now I had the information to give to Dave the weasel. I looked forward to my meeting with him tomorrow 2nd February.

  That night, I slept like a baby.

  5

  As usual, I awoke to the crazy alarm laugh of micky mouse telling me all was well. The resonant chimes of the carriage clock reminded me civilisation was at hand. Today I had to bank my money and I would also have a look at the homes of Ahmed and Bruce. Now I performed my usual ablutions while the kettle boiled. My post box yielded nothing. By 10.30 I was ready to call at the banks and deposit my loot as I had three accounts in different names. Bank managers were not people I trusted, but I made the first queue in good time and within the hour had it all put away in different locations. Now the briefcase was empty, I set off to look over the addresses. The first was Dr Ahmed’s.

  His address showed he was living at Lyndon Gardens off the Bayswater Road, Notting Hill. It was a rather large house with a secluded back garden. That was what I always liked to see when I was thieving. I soon found a place to park up and within minutes was ‘surveying’ my target. I presumed Ahmed would be in his laboratory working, so I had no worries about being surprised by chance. My objective was to locate a point of entry and be able to place the transmitters. A good look over the place told me it was very easy to accomplish.

  I had already walked around the back through a side gate and spotted a sash window. The lock catch would easily slide back with the insertion of a thin blade as I had often used this method in the past. It was almost like child’s play to me. Satisfied it was easy; I planned to return when darkness became my friend later that day. Back in my car, I made haste over to Willifield Road in Golders Green. It appeared Dr Bruce had a better taste in living in a tree lined street.

  Once again, I parked in a position to view over the house of interest. It was a large detached property with front and back gardens. The curtains were open but all windows shut. T
here were no signs of life.Conscious of prying eyes from behind curtains, I advanced towards the dwelling holding a piece of paper as if looking for the correct address.

  Putting on my acting skill, I walked into the house driveway and pretentiously knocked the door with a readymade excuse if needed. No answer invited me to inspect the rear windows. They had always been my favourite entry point. However, I was met by a conservatory bolted onto the back of the house. But this would not deter a determined thief.

  Luckily, I spotted an extension ladder beside a garden shed and soon had it up against a top bedroom window. It was in a concealed position. The rosewood window frame presented no problem. A small latch in the right hand corner of the frame could be nudged open quite easily. That was all I wanted to know. I would need a standard screwdriver. A quick look around the rear gardens confirmed there was no fear of discovery when the time was right for me to enter. The ladder was put back in place and no signs were left of my enquiry.

  Back in my car, I made haste to return home for the transmitters and recording devices and not forgetting my gloves and a torch. I reckoned I could visit both houses and place the bugs within three hours. It would be an in and out exercise and be ample time to do what I needed to do. Yes, all being well, that was my plan.

  I arrived home to see my green phone light flashing. There was a message from Dave the weasel. Would I confirm our meeting that evening as planned? So I gave him a quick call to confirm it again.

  Time was now almost 3.30pm. Sweet notes of falling water left my body as the kettle boiled for a coffee. I just made the sell by date on a cheese sandwich which I ate like a starving dog. With my head in order, I collected the transmitters together with my work kit then left for my destination to Bruce’s house at Golders Green.

  The traffic was building up as I drove and weaved my way through to his house in Willifield Road. I found a tidy place to park after a quick drive past my target. There were no lights on inside and the street lights had just come on now it was dusk.