Watch it – Bentley 58

[For a quick guide go here: Quick guide.]

[There's some back story here: Story so far at 30 Nov 2020 and read more recent Bentley episodes especially this one.]

[Other back story through in-links.]

Bentley sat in his front room. The door to the balcony was open and Lawrence stood outside.

“Is it still there?” asked Bentley.

“U-huh,” said Lawrence.

“Well you’d better come in then,” said Bentley. “They’ll see you and that’ll be that.”

That wouldn’t really be that, thought Lawrence. The car Bentley was talking about had sat there all morning and showed no sign of shifting. Lawrence was a bit unsure as to why Bentley should be so worried about this non-discript red Ford, but he respected his father’s right to be anxious. And recent experience had demonstrated that even if Bentley protested to the contrary there were now reasons why Aston should dislike to him. Whatever lay in the past the situation had gone beyond Aston just wanting a ring - or something - from Bentley. He was lining up for a fight and Bentley, whatever he said and however he defended himself was egging Aston on.

“Can’t stay there all day, can they?” asked Lawrence as he came inside.

“Who are they?” asked Natalie, coming in from the kitchen with mugs  of tea.

“Don’t know,” admitted Bentley, “but certain to be with Aston.”

“Couldn’t they be here for someone else?” she said. “Like anyone else who lives around here?”

“They’re watching this block,” said Bentley, “and my flat.”

Lawrence looked skeptical and it was a look Bentley caught.

“If you don’t want to help...” began Bentley.

“What if I was helping you by saying you were being paranoid?”

“If I followed what you said we’d have ended up at the bottom of the English Channel months ago,” said Bentley.

He would be more forgiving for his son but the current situation was seriously winding him up. With the news that Thimble was dead and there was ‘something’ left for him, Bentley had gained a greater sense of self importance. Maybe he wasn’t just a haphazard chancer who’d stumbled into some dodgy dealings and was now floundering around for answers. Maybe he did actually have some kind of power or influence. The unfortunate incident with Jaggers at Christmas had certainly increased his worth, for obvious reasons, but now Thimble had offered him something from beyond the grave he felt stronger than ever. Whatever was out there he wanted a piece of it.

All the more reason to be annoyed then, that this red car should turn up early one morning and the occupants raise their binoculars - so Bentley thought - to scope out his home. This was the latest move, thought Bentley, they’re waiting for an opportunity for revenge, revenge for the havoc he’d brought to the arcade and shops. Or maybe they just want to return the cat.

With Natalie accompanying Bentley’s recent movements Lawrence had arrived late last night, offering to drive everyone to the lawyers in the morning. The lawyer had insisted on this. Whatever Thimble had in mind for Bentley could not be done via zoom.

“So here we sit like birds in the wilderness,” sighed Lawrence.

Bentley took a sip of his drink.

“We can sit them out,” he said.

“What if we smuggled you out to the car with a blanket over your head?” asked Lawrence.

“They’d recognised you,” said Bentley, “or they realise what was going on. Two people and me under a blanket? Dead give away. Might as well put a target on my back.”

“OK,” said Lawrence. “We’ll do it differently.”

--

Sitting in their red car, Mike and Josh were surveying the estate and waiting for their contact to give them the go ahead to move. When they received the word they would be going to their contact’s flat to see what the home was like inside as well as out. It was true they were ridiculously early for their appointment, but as they were from out of town they wanted to check what the area was like. It had had various reputations in the past, but was now beginning to look like it might be an interesting investment - sitting usefully close to affordability and nearness to the town centre.

“It’s not as run down as I’d thought, you know,” said Josh.

“Nah,” said Mike. “Seen worse, for sure.”

They were, in fact, looking in entirely the wrong direction to see three figures, each with a different coloured blanket over their head, walked uncertainly from the bottom of one low level block to the nearest car park. The blue blanket appeared to be leading and occasionally stopped, bobbed back round to see where the other blankets were and then continued.

The grey blanket appeared to be helping the darker grey one which was the smallest, or perhaps bowed down blanket. Despite a few misplaced steps and bumps along the way, the blankets made it to the car which blue blanket had unlocked and was now sitting in the driver’s seat.

Doors closed there was a short moment of triumphal ‘ta-daa!’ as all three blankets dropped to reveal three people. But they were just a blur as the car drove away.

“Fancy a cup of tea?” asked Mike, lowering his binoculars and reaching for a thermos.

“Nice,” said Josh.