Zodiac's toy - John Jones (bill gates best books txt) 📗

Shane and Lee both left the flat to leave Ray staring at the cards. He spread them out. They were all exactly the same as they were.

Somehow they'd found their way in there, he thought, but it must have been by some accident. Some normal method. Maybe Caroline picked them up, put them in his pocket when he hadn't noticed, then they fell out somewhere and Victor picked them up thinking they were Shanes and just put them next to the kettle where he would find them because not only did he have a predilection for alcohol, his equal addiction was cups of tea.

It had to be something like that, he wondered, because I certainly don't believe in the zodiac.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 6

 

Gorgeous, she thought, looking in a large window of 'Shiffon's fashions' at the mannequin wearing a yellow and blue floral dress. The dress she wore at present was not too dissimilar. Her father had bought it when she had been window shopping last year, but Vanessa always had a penchant for things 'new', and 'now'. If she bought the dress in the shop window it would maybe be worn once, and become 'old' after a month. It would be onto the next new item of clothing. Vanessa loved to shop and despite her wildly fluctuating bank account, always found the money to buy expensive but not 'silly money' items.

Today her credit card would be taking some damage, she thought. There were two pairs of shoes she wanted, although she hadn't exactly chosen them yet. Just the feeling of shopping, of browsing, of picking things up and putting them down, of complaining about the price, of going into the dressing rooms with several items and fussing over them in the long mirror. I like it I don't like it, well maybe...

In the paved shopping area of Secreston Heath were plenty of fashion retailers nestled amongst 'lesser' shops in her opinion. Shops she reluctantly entered. A champagne lifestyle, rubbing shoulders with celebrities, royalty, government, was a lifestyle she had aspirations towards and her credit card attested to that. Her parents were even more lavish, and even though their house was in an expensive area, of that area theirs was in the lower price range.

Vanessa, and certainly her mother, knew there was one thing missing in her life.

Someone to share it with.

She had had three previous boyfriends. Only one of them met her standards. Although at the time, those standards were still being formed and changed, where now, they were kind of hard to budge, but not set in stone. A man who is on benefits, no matter how good-looking, or even if he had a good personality, was a no-go. Even if he had a menial job. A cleaner. A shelf-stacker. A call-centre worker. All on her mental 'no thank-you' list. However, should she meet one of those or the equivalent, then they would have to be handsome with a winning personality. The man would certainly have his work cut-out. Perhaps then she may say yes.

One previous boyfriend, Sam, said he was taking her out for a meal. So she got herself dressed and made up. Only to be taken to a pub that served food. To say she was disappointed was an understatement. However she managed to hide it and gave him another chance by not breaking up with him. Yet, he did it again. She got dressed up and taken to the same place. So she dropped him like a stone.

Another boyfriend, Tristan, didn't dance. She found this out two weeks into their relationship when they went to Tristan's friend's wedding. When the DJ played a popular tune, one of those where a lot of people head to the dance-floor, Vanessa was one of those joining them, but Tristan wasn't, opting to sit alone, arms folded with a glass of coke, shaking his head, resisting ‘come on’ gestures.

'No, I don't dance,' he said. So Vanessa boogied on her own for a while, then joined in with other strangers there, and soon Tristan received a 'We're finished' text message.

Then came Bill. A computer 'whizz', a self-employed software engineer who companies hired for him to fix their systems. She could honestly say she loved Bill. He ticked all her boxes. He danced, took her to posh restaurants and paid for everything. Was 'decent' looking, had a nice personality, made her laugh, stimulated her mind, was liked by her mother. Then one day one of his weaknesses, of which there were a few made itself known.

He received a job offer from China for doing the same job for a multi-national software corporation, and didn't hesitate to take it or even consult with her. He made no mention of wanting Vanessa to come with him. She would have refused anyway. On a Thursday when he'd received the job offer, he simply said: 'I leave on the week-end'. That was that.

She knew he was out there somewhere. Mr Right. Mr Right for me. Her single status was something she just had to bear. When usually out wherever she was, it was probably a psychological trait that meant she would see couples 'everywhere'. Couples hand-in-hand, young couples smooching and fawning over each other, couples naturally comfortable with each other, couples chatting and laughing, older couples still in love after so many years.

Half of her life was empty, and needed to be filled by a partner, by someone for whom she could give her love to. The love she had 'bottled-up' inside her, taken back from her previous boyfriends, needed to be let out, to be given to somebody, and in return they needed to do the same, give their love to her, and only then could she call herself satisfied, could she fulfil the biological urge in everyone. She knew her parents would be happy if she would settle down, find somebody 'nice'. Although she wouldn't admit it, her mother's approval of her boyfriends meant a lot.

She sauntered further down the high street, the clouds slowly roiling in above, threatening rain. I've no umbrella, she thought. Might be an excuse to go into a clothes shop and buy one.

From her vantage point as she walked, she saw two clothing shops she wanted to go into almost opposite each other, ‘Maxine's’ and ‘Ruby Angels’. She headed down towards Ruby Angels and as she did passed by a crowd circle, surrounding a street entertainer performing acrobatics.

She had nothing against them, but saw them as beggars. If you have to ask the public for money, then you were a beggar. They weren't as bad as sitting down outside shops or by cash-machines. They simply held out their hands hoping for money and was begging in its lowest form according to Vanessa. 'Please give me free money', but at least the street entertainers did something for it. Had a talent they could show-off, but still that word 'beggar' entered her mind when people asked for coins. Her attitude totally changed though when it came to charities shaking their collection buckets outside supermarkets or doing an event in a public place. She even gave money.

As she neared Ruby Angels she was aware of another one in the middle of the paved shopping area. Someone playing the Viola.

She had to admit, they could play, but had no idea as to the tune. Something classical, but there was no crowd around them. A few people put coins into a blue tin as they walked past.

She was close to the shop entrance when the words 'blue tin' made her stop. Why is that familiar? she thought. Then the memory wound itself together and she reached into her lace bag and retrieved the oracle card.

'Put coins in the blue tin then get out of the rain’. She stared at it for a few moments, then up at the dark-grey clouds. She didn't believe in horoscopes, and didn't give money to beggars, but she looked across at the blue tin, then slowly headed towards it, reaching into her purse and taking out a few coins.

Why not? she thought. I can afford it. She liked the melody of the instrument, the talent playing it, and whatever tune it was as it coursed around her music-loving brain.

She stooped to drop the coins into the tin, and saw the man was wearing shiny shoes. He stopped playing. Her eyes gradually travelled up. He was wearing a suit, albeit rather haphazardly, but it didn't look cheap. A bit rough around the edges. The Viola itself was an expensive instrument, and looked buffed and shiny. The man had long straight hair, the type that he had to keep flicking out of his eyes. He wore rimless glasses. When he parted his hair, she stared at him.

'Oh my God,' she thought, 'he's fucking gorgeous'. It was a rare thing for Vanessa to swear, even in her mind. There were always exceptions.

“Thank-you,'' the man said, “I really appreciate it”.

'...and he talks posh!'.

Then the rain came. They both looked up at the sky, squinting against the droplets.

Across the way there was a coffee-shop next to 'Maxines'.

"Fancy a coffee?" Vanessa asked. The man smiled and nodded.

"Yes, I could most certainly do with a latte".

With that, Vanessa's standards cracked.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 7

 

"So that's a black tea and tomato juice, and can I recommend the lentil stew?" said Wayne Roberts to two student girls sat by the wall at Tiger vegan cafe. Another customer was sat at the opposite wall frowning at a laptop. As he walked to the back to make the order he didn’t notice somebody else come in.

Lee Sherwin stood looking around. He sat in the seat closest to him at the entrance, looking completely out of place.

Perhaps a little bit of 'aggro' wouldn't go amiss, he thought. Ray had planted the seed in his mind about intimidating Wayne to stay away from Caroline and it was just a simple warning. Something to get the blood flowing again after being in prison. Easy. It was too tempting. If I can't intimidate a hippy I might as well shoot myself, he'd thought. Even after the adrenalin rush of the post-office, it was not enough. He needed to feel he still had enough menace to make people afraid of him. If a hippy wasn't scared, then he had work to do, and if he even got the better of him somehow, then Lee could not imagine the shame he would feel. He liked people being scared of him. It gave him a sense of gravitas and massaged his ego, which every now and then needed a boost.

He took from his pocket a pre-prepared joint and lit it up. Cannabis laced smoke curled into the air, and from behind the counter Wayne stared at him. He hesitated and approached cautiously like somebody nearing an unpredictable dog.

"Excuse me, sir. I'm afraid you can't smoke in here". Lee just stared at him and took a drag. Wayne came closer and stood a few feet away.

"Could you please take that outside there's no smoking allow..." Lee got to his feet and squared up to Wayne.

"Can't I have a fucking smoke mate?" he said, taking a drag and blowing smoke in Wayne's face.

"Wayne, isn't it?" he continued. "I've got a message from her brother Ray. Stay the fuck away from Caroline. Okay? and if I hear you've been near her then I'll know about it and I'll come back and smash the fucking place with you in it. Trust me," he said poking his chest.

"Remember," he said loudly, "stay away from Caroline". Then he left. Wayne just stood rooted to the spot, and could feel fear coursing through him causing him to tremble slightly. The student girls were staring at him as he sat down. The business-man was still engrossed in his laptop.

"Excuse me," one of the students said. "Can I have that lentil stew?".

 

 

Chapter 8

 

In her office in the back of ‘Davita's garden centre’, Caroline, with her elbows on the desk, hunched over