Stalker

‘Just wondered; me being nosy, I guess.’

He raised a polite smile and returned the phone to his pocket. ‘Do either of you have any questions about anything I’ve said? Apart from my private life,’ he added. He saw her glance at him, unsure if he was serious.

‘I don’t think we have; you’ve been very thorough,’ Russ said. ‘Thank you.’

‘I’ll email my quote to you this evening. Go through it, and have a look at the literature. Let me know if you have any questions.’ He gathered together his papers, finished his coffee, and stood.

‘If we were to accept your quote,’ Russ said as they began towards the door, ‘how soon could you do the work?’

He looked at them thoughtfully. ‘Hmm, I have a big job starting the week after next at a building contractors. You obviously want this place securing as soon as possible to stop the same thing happening again.’ He paused. ‘I tell you what, this work here should only take me a day, so, if you were to give me the go ahead tomorrow, I’ll have it fitted for you by the end of the week. How does that sound?’

‘Very good,’ Russ said, and Julie nodded.

‘Well, nice meeting you both and thank you for the coffee.’ They arrived in the hall and shook hands.

‘Try not to worry,’ he said to Julie. ‘We’ll soon have you safe again.’

‘Thank you, I feel safer already.’

‘Good.’

He’d be very surprised if he didn’t get the work.

Chapter Four (#ulink_7c0a443c-5ce9-5b2f-8260-78e905a28153)

‘Very nice,’ Paul Mellows said, as they pulled onto the driveway. For a moment Derek thought he was referring to him. ‘The house … it’s a nice pad,’ Paul clarified.

‘Oh yes.’ Derek nodded and switched off the engine, silencing a wave of disappointment ‘So remember, we wipe our shoes on their doormat before we go in. It’s these little marks of respect that clients appreciate.’

Paul sighed. ‘I always do, don’t I?’

Derek glanced at him with an appreciative smile. ‘You’re better than many of my apprentices, I’ll give you that.’ Paul was an attractive lad with fair hair and blue-grey eyes, but at eighteen he was brash with the misplaced confidence of someone who thought they knew it all. ‘Eight twenty-nine. Nearly time to go. Is your phone off or on silent?’

‘It will be.’

‘And remember, we address our clients by their title and surname, so it’s Mr and Mrs Williams to you.’

Paul stifled another sigh. ‘I know. And we don’t accept the first drink they offer even though I’m gasping and didn’t have time for breakfast.’

‘And whose fault would that be?’ Derek asked indulgently.

‘Mum’s for not getting up on time.’

‘You’re old enough to get your own breakfast. So you know the routine.’ Derek opened his door. ‘You stay in the van while I ring the bell and make sure they are all up and ready for us. And no shaking their hands,’ he added, his lip curling into a smile. ‘Who knows what you’ve been doing with those hands at your age.’

‘Wouldn’t you like to know.’

Derek looked away as Paul’s phone bleeped with a message. ‘Girlfriend?’ he asked as he got out.

‘None of your business.’

Derek left him to it. Despite his impertinence Paul was learning the trade fast, possibly a bit too fast. He’d had to keep a closer eye on him. He rang the doorbell. The Williams were up and expecting him. With a brief ‘good morning’, he returned to the van for the equipment they needed, tapping on Paul’s window as he passed.

‘Thank God it’s Friday,’ Paul moaned as he got out and joined his boss at the rear of the van.

‘You want to count yourself lucky you have a job. There’s a lot unemployed among your age group, and you’re learning a trade.’

‘So you’ve told me before.’

Ignoring his slight, Derek passed Paul two toolboxes from the rear of the van and locked the van doors. Mr and Mrs Williams were waiting for them in the hall.

‘This is my apprentice, Paul.’

‘Hello,’ Paul said, giving his shoes a cursory wipe on the mat.

‘Hi. Would you both like a drink before you start work?’ Julie offered.

‘No, thank you,’ Derek replied. ‘I’d like to get going, if you don’t mind.’

‘And you, Paul?’

‘I have to do as the boss says.’

‘We’ll leave our tools in the garage and set up camp in there, if that’s alright with you?’ Derek said to Russ. ‘Save us keep going in and out of your front door.’

‘Fine,’ Russ said. ‘I’m working from home today so if you need anything I’ll be in the study, and my wife will be around too.’

‘We’ll try not to disturb you,’ Derek said.

‘Anything else you need?’ Russ asked.

‘I don’t believe so.’

‘I’ll leave you to it then.’

‘Thank you.’ He gave a little bow.

Paul stifled a smile.

In the two months he’d been working for Derek, Paul had learnt that the company was nowhere near the size his boss liked to pretend – indeed as far as he was aware there was just the two of them. He also knew that as well as being obsessed with good manners and politeness, Derek kept himself to himself, never went out socially and appeared to have no mates. He seemed to live for his work, and was meticulously clean and tidy to ridiculous lengths. Some days Paul felt he’d done nothing but clear up. Derek also liked to work in silence, only breaking it to explain something about the job, or to deliver a lecture. Lectures included the youth of today, lack of respect, the lowlife scum who stole from decent folk, and noise pollution – the latter delivered after Paul had naïvely asked if they could have the radio on as they worked.

‘If clients wanted a radio blaring out all day they’d have one switched on, wouldn’t they? It would be intrusive for them to have to listen to our radio just because we want it on. An infringement of their personal space. Never forget we are tradesmen in these people’s homes, here simply to do the job they are paying us for, so don’t overstep the line into familiarity.’ Paul had been sorry he’d asked.

But his boss’s work ethos seemed to be successful, for he received so many requests for quotations that he could pick and choose the jobs he wanted. After visiting some premises he didn’t send an estimate, but an email apologizing that his work schedule was full, which seemed odd to Paul as some days they’d finished by lunchtime. Paul had no idea what the criteria were for accepting or declining a job. He’d asked Derek but he’d been vague and as an apprentice he couldn’t press him for an explanation. Paul was never allowed to go with Derek when he went to estimate. Derek said it would be an unnecessary inconvenience to the clients to have them both there, but added that if he took Paul on permanently he would train him in estimating. For various reasons Paul doubted that would happen.

At eleven o’clock they accepted the coffee Mrs Williams offered and drank it in the garage. Paul was also allowed to eat two of the biscuits she’d arranged on the plate; to eat them all would have appeared greedy, Derek said. It was then Paul’s job to return the tray with their empty mugs and the plate to the kitchen, remembering to knock on the door before he went in, even if it was open.

At one o’clock they had their lunch break sitting in the van to eat their packed lunches. Paul found it uncomfortable sitting so close to Derek who often had tuna and mayo in his sandwiches, made by his mother. He had the radio on low and always tuned to Classic FM. Paul ate his sandwiches quickly and then left the van to use his phone.