The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike) Part 1196 by Angharad Copyright © 2010 Angharad All Rights Reserved.

I was sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall and felt like throwing up. As if anticipating my need, the nurse produced one of those papier mache bowls and up came my breakfast. I had a drink of water and she helped me up.

“Do you get many fainting fits?”

“No, I think I probably ate someone who disagreed with me.”

“Someone? You don’t mean something?”

“I might, I must get home.” Somehow I managed to pull myself up and stand on initially wobbly legs, but as I started to walk, they felt stronger. I had things to do.

By the time I was back in the fresh air, I felt much better. I called Henry.

“My favourite daughter in law, what can I do for you?”

I ignored the double entendre. “The bad guys have got James.”

“James–James who?”

“James Beck, you know the investigator you recommended.”

“Which bad guys are they?”

“The South Bank Show, I believe he called them.”

“Oh did he now? A nasty lot by all accounts. Where are you–I can hear traffic.”

“Outside Charing Cross.”

“Get on a train then.”

“Hospital.”

“In Fulham, okay, get a cab I’ll meet you at ...” I flagged down a taxi and he took me to my rendezvous with Henry. He was driving his A6 Audi, and boy could that shift.

He navigated us through London and before long we were belting down the M3, neither of us spoke for maybe half an hour, my head still felt a bit fuzzy and he was concentrating on driving like fury.

He pulled up at Fleet services and he made me tell him the whole story.

“So Julie acquired these keys, got herself abducted, then you get her back and Jim helps you arrest half the bad guys when they attack your home. You work out where the safety deposit is and help yourselves to five million pounds of bonds and cash. No wonder they’re pissed, I think I would be too.”

I showed him the message. “I’m scared, Henry.”

“It could be a bluff, have you tried ringing Jim?”

“That came from his mobile, the only number I have for him.”

“It could be from an opportunist.”

“How would they know about the money?”

“Word gets out.”

“But I thought we’d got them all?”

“They’re like dandelions, complete eradication or they regrow and they have five million reasons to do so.”

“I thought they’d think the money was lost, exploded in the crash.”

“Cathy, grow up will you? They would know it was taken from the bank by a man and a woman, they’d have your descriptions and it would be all over the town by tea time. You’ll have a bounty on you.”

“What? That’s so unfair.” I griped and my Blackberry peeped.

‘Bring da munny 2 Eastleigh services, 11.00hrs 2moro, 2 swap 4 lover boy.’

“That seems fairly straightforward.”

“How do I know they aren’t lying?” I asked Henry.

“You don’t, plus the fact that he could well be dead by now.”

“Thanks, that really makes me feel better.”

“I’m not going to pull punches with you, Cathy, this stuff should have been given to the police to deal with.”

“I know, but they weren’t being very nice to me or Jim.”

“In what way?”

“They picked up on his being gay and me being transsexual.”

“I thought you’d be used to dealing with that by now.”

“It still hurts.”

“Cathy, it happens–deal with it and move on–let’s face it unless you could actually give birth, you couldn’t do much more to be accepted as female, could you?”

“I dunno,” I shrugged.

“You have six kids who love you like crazy, plus a crazy husband who loves you too, what else have you got to prove? You’re a beautiful young woman, accept it and get on with life.”

“So what do I do about this demand?”

“Where’s the stuff?”

“In your bank.”

“Okay, have you got the key?”

“I sent it to Simon.”

“Simon–are you crazy?”

“Why?”

“He’ll lose the bloody thing. When he was eleven, he passed his Eleven Plus exam. I was so pleased I bought him a brand new bike. By lunch time the same day, he’d lost it.”

“Lost it?”

“Yes, he went into a shop and when he came out it was gone.”

“Didn’t he have a lock on it?”

“Yes, round his seat post, but the bike wasn’t locked to anything. I refused to buy him another one, he had to earn it.”

“Oh, I thought that as a banker Simon would be trustworthy.”

“Yes he is, he’s just careless.”

“Oh poo,” I sent him a text. He had the key in his hand.

“Tell him to give it to his secretary now, we’ll collect it from her.” I did as I was told. An hour and a half later we were in Portsmouth at Simon’s office and in possession of the key.

Henry took it with him and he dashed back off to London. He would come to the house tonight with the bonds.

Simon took me home and after a drink and a snack, I had a short nap and went to collect the girls. I didn’t tell them Grampa Henry was visiting in case he was late. He arrived at seven and they all made a huge fuss of him.

I got most of the children in bed by nine and after their excitement with Henry, they were asleep by ten. Henry decided to stay over and had brought a case with him. He also had an aluminium attaché case, in which I presumed were the bonds and money.

After Julie and Danny were in bed, there was a light rap on the back door. My heart nearly stopped. Henry nodded that it was okay to open it. When I did two men in army fatigues stood there, in the dark with sunglasses on.

“Cathy, these are some friends of Jim who will be offering back up tomorrow.”

“Oh, do come in.” I invited.

They walked in and over a cuppa, we discussed our plans for tomorrow. All I was told was that once they had the case and we had Jim, I wasn’t to do anything stupid, just give them the case and take Jim back to my car–I was to use his Porsche.

Henry showed them the case, and the bonds and the money. They were busy counting stuff and looking at the bonds when he asked me to check the Porsche was locked safely in the garage. I thought it was an odd request but I complied to keep him happy. It was there and with a full tank of gas, I’d refuelled it after the talk the other night–okay, I wanted to have another go in it, and driving it to the supermarket and back was fun–got loads of stares–all of them envious.

I didn’t sleep very well, Henry took the girls to school and they loved it. I ran Danny to his–he always seems to miss out and he was glowing with pride when I drove right into the school car park before letting him out, several boys came up to speak with him before I drove off.

Then I drove home. Henry was waiting for me with the brief case. “Where are Tweedledum and Tweedledee?” I asked.

“They’ve been on site since about midnight.”

“Aren’t they likely to be seen and the police called?”

“Cathy, they’re snipers, no one will see them and if it goes pear shaped at least we have some back up. These guys could put a full clip in someone’s head before he could blink.”

“Why?”

“How would I know–I’m a banker not a soldier.”

“Oh so you are–how silly of me to forget.” I felt in a strange mood. Simon had gone to work despite his wanting to be involved. “What about your time with the SIS, Henry?”

“Eh?”

“The Secret Intelligence Service, or MI6–I’m not quite as stupid as you think I am.”

“Okay, I’m not squeaky clean, but that’s all you get.”

“For now.”

“Full stop.”

“No wonder you knew Jim.”

“Cathy, we have to go–now stick to the plan.”

“Where are you going to be?”

“In my own car, just watching.”

I hugged him, “Thanks, Henry, you’re wonderful pa in law.”

“I know,” he sniggered, “but having a wonderful daughter in law brings out the best in me.”

We set off for our cars, me carrying the heavier than it looked case plus my always heavier than it looked handbag, with kitchen sink attachment.