After a chat today with Suse (and a FB 'Chat' this evening I wrote my very first (very) short story
Be
Careful what you wish for
He shouldn't have gone
back to the shop drunk.
He shouldn't have gone
back at all.
DC Sam Turner looked
at his watch before going in through the old fashioned door, complete
with bell, but didn't see the time.
Three weeks earlier two
men had beaten each other into near unconsciousness outside this shop
over no motive The Met could figure out. The only link was the shop
and the only witness to the crime, Mr Jinover the shop owner.
He'd said the the men
hadn't gone into his shop just walked to the pavement outside and
proceeded to beat the hell out of each other.
However other residents
in the area reported seeing both men going into the shop at one point
or another. Still the police had nothing.
Jinover had no record
and had caused no trouble since opening his curio shop a year ago.
Investigating his financial records showed the shop was making a
little profit and his personal finances showed nothing suspicious.
Granted the shop was in
a rough part of town but even so it wasn't suffering the same lack of
business that the other stores in the area. He took in second hand
antiques and collectables and sold them on at no great increase in
price but still made enough to keep going.
There was something
else, Sam could sense it but couldn't pin the feeling down. He was
under pressure from his DS to get this solved and get onto something
'more important' but he couldn't let it go.
So here he was opening
the door to 'The Genies Lamp', the bell rang as though The Universe
was warning him one last time to turn back but he couldn't.
It was dark in there
and he paused while his eyes got used to the gloom, then he noticed
the smell of incense in the air, a musky smell, not an unpleasant
smell just odd.
“Good evening Mr
Turner” said a voice coming from the back of the shop “what can I
do for you this evening?
“Sorry for disturbing
you” Sam said, hoping he wasn't slurring his words too badly “just
had a few more questions for you”
“Nonsense you are
welcome at any time” a shape moved from behind some glass display
cases holding objects ranging from Star Wars action figures (sealed)
to Buzz Lightyear.
“What do you want to
know?” said Mr Jinover emerging from behind a tailors dummy holding
a set of Samurai Armour.
Mr Jinover looked like
a cliché. Middle Eastern, in his 40's, dark haired wearing a black
suit and glasses. All he needed was a Fez and Sam could have been in
a Hammer movie or maybe one of those Indiana Jones films.
“It's about those two
men from before, the ones that attacked each other”
“yes?”
“I was wondering if
you had remembered anything else”
Jinover took a step
closer
“anything else?” he
stared intently at Sam “are you feeling alright Mr Turner?”
Sam realised he was
sweating “yes I'm sorry must be fighting a cold”
“let me get
you some tea” that suddenly seemed like a great idea “ yeah
that'd be great, thanks”
Jinover turned and
walked towards the back of the shop “ come this way and have a seat
while I prepare your drink”
“thanks” said Sam “
now about the incident?” he followed Jinover to the counter area
Set next to an old
fashioned display counter was a large wooden chair with a dark red
cushion and carvings of intertwined figures on the back and arms “sit
said Jinover”
Sam sat before he
realised what he was doing and sighed, must be really drunk he
thought as his eyelids flickered.
The next thing he knew
was Jinover shaking him by the shoulder and offering him a cup of
steaming tea “you must be unwell Mr Turner, you fell asleep”
“sorry” muttered
Sam
“quite allright”
Jinover waved the apology away “drink your tea it will make you
feel better”
Sam took a sip, it was
good, what was that herbal? And a strange aftertaste sort of like the
incense he'd been breathing in since he entered the shop.
“thanks it's good”
“you are very welcome
Sam and now what is it you wish?”
“I want to close this
case, I need to close this case”
“ and that is what
you wish?”
“yes”
“you must say the
words Sam” Jinover leaned forward, his face a few inches from Sam's
“you must say The Word”
“ I....
I wish I knew how to close this case”
Jinover
backed away suddenly smile lighting up his face and eyes glittering
“I believe I can help you Sam”
“what?”
Sam felt a little dizzy and wasn't sure he was entirely sure what was
happening “how?”
“it's
what I do my friend, I help people fulfill their desires, for a price
of course”
“what
price?. what do you know?”
“I
know who was responsible”
“who?”
Sam's voice seemed far away and somehow smaller and the smell of
incense was getting stronger
“well
I was of course, indirectly” Jinover spread his hands on the
counter “ the two gentlemen who came in both wanted to be the head
of their respective organisations and I made that happen for them”
“how?”
the room was darkening as Sam felt his awareness slipping
“I
simply told them that if they were to remove an important but secret
element of their rivals respective group then their rivals would lose
power and then my clients would be able to take advantage of the
situation”
He
smiled “but I didn't expect them to meet and act on my instructions
so soon and right outside my humble establishment, that's what you
get for dealing with street thugs I suppose”
“but
you Sam you are a professional, a police man and I am sure you will
be able to complete your task as I instruct you”
“and
I'll be able to close the case?”
“once
you do as I ask”
“what
do you want?”
“I
have lived a very long time Sam and I have acrrued a lot of enemies
and one of those enemies has found me in London. I want you to take
this file which includes evidence that not only was my enemy involved
in the altercation outside but is also involved with the
dissapearences of several young women in another part of london”
Jinover
smiled “you will solve your case and I will evade my enemy nothing
could be simpler”
“no”
said Sam “nothing simpler” and reached for the file
As
The Shopkeeper handed over the file he drew a curved dagger over the
back of Sams hand drawing blood. The wound closed quickly and Sam
barely had time to notice.
“
now if you don't mind I have certain preperations to make” Jinover
guided Sam to the door
Once
outside Sams head cleared. He knew what he had to do to stop the
person responsible for all of this. He would be a hero and maybe move
on up the ranks.
Sam
walked off towards his car feeling much better than he had before.
This was going to be his year after all.
Inside
The Genies Lamp Jinover held the phone to his ear as he slowly
licked the dagger he had used to cut Sams hand savouring the taste of
another sale made and another soul tarnished.
“hello”
said the voice on the other end
“ah
DS Mcready I have good news I have want you wanted”
“really?”
“yes
young Sam Turner, one of yours I think. He will go to the address I
have given you and find the body, if you could arrange for your men
to apprehend him there the evidence I gave you should be enough for
you to get him out of both our lives”
“did
you receive my payment?”
“yes
the young ladies were very useful thank you”
“then
our business is done?”
“indeed
it is” he sheathed his dagger and hung up
Time
to move on he thought as he looked around his lamp.
