Zodiac's toy by John Jones (best free ereader .TXT) 📖

aloud when they saw the scorpions.

"This man threw Scorpios". The security guard, probably finally grateful at having something to do, came barrelling into the aisle and stopped, red-faced, not sure of the situation.

"I didn't..." Ray said, but then the security guard saw the scorpions.

"It was him," the man's wife shouted, pointing at Ray, and the guard grabbed Ray and marched him along the aisle to the back of the store.

"You can't be bringing in Scorpios to throw on the food fella".

"I didn't..."

One minute later, Ray was in a small security room at the back, and he insisted he watch back the CCTV footage to prove it wasn't him. The guard asked him for ID and for details, and the store manager came in. They eventually reeled back the footage and found Ray was right.

"Go find me that couple," said the manager, and the security guard left, and soon found them.

Ray was let go, and as he neared the exit found the customers panicking and hurrying out.

The shop was crawling with scorpions.

Fucking strange that, he thought, out in the car-park. Another coincidence. He nodded at this. It could be nothing else, he convinced himself.

Maybe he would just have to shop in Ambroses, he thought, making his way the mile there. In a recreation ground, across a road were a few benches, and even though it wasn't the warmest of days, the sun was still out and bathed warmth across the town, which meant families, bikers and joggers in the large rectangular green, council-made space.

So Ray sat down. He was in no rush to go back to the flat, and relaxed, thinking of scorpions.

Until that was, people started to look in the same direction, and point, and talk. Ray followed their eye-line.

As it was quite far away, near the end of the area near where youths were playing three-and-in, using bags as goal-posts, it soon became clear what they were looking at.

It was a Lion.

The people closest to it didn't seem perturbed. However, one or two furthest away, near Ray, shouted something illegible, panicked and ran. It seemed those nearby, as if it was radiating a wide aura, seemed relaxed within it. One mother with a buggy picked up her two-year old and pointed at it, and when the Lion came by, stroked it.

Everybody stopped to watch. The Lion simply sauntered up the middle of the grass, some people stroking it, some talking and pointing. Some children running up to stroke it.

One father and son were close-by and the father looked down at his five-year old and said:

"What's the Lion's name?" The child beamed a smile.

"Leo," he said, as the beast walked on by.

Some people outside of the recreation ground saw it and rushed quickly away. The Lion walked close-by Ray, and if it was exerting a calming influence on those around it, it didn't work on him. Although he did not up and run away, his heart raced faster and he stared at it as it walked in front of him about ten metres away. It looked at him, then straight ahead, and carried on walking until it left the recreation ground, out of sight.

People now were panicking after the fact. Some walked aimlessly around. Some put their hands to their heads. Some just shouted barely legible babble.

"...d'you see that?" "...'kin Lion". Ray was no different. He put his hand to his head and began to utter:

"Coincidence. Coincidence. Coincidence. Coincidence...what else could it be? What else could it be?"

Nothing, he thought. It could be nothing but coincidence. Yes. Nothing. He convinced himself after a few moments, breathing rather heavily, and stood up, curiously walking to the exit to see if he could see the Lion down the road, but it was not there.

He found his way back to Ambroses, and fulfilled the shopping list, claiming his ten percent, getting a few looks from those who recognised him, but he was in no mood to care, and slowly made his way back to the flat.

To find three men sitting on his sofa watching television. He went through into the kitchen, shaking his head and unloading the shopping. He opened the fridge and saw there were several bottles of water. When did they get there? he thought, and shrugged his shoulders.

The man who had stayed the previous night walked in.

"Did you get the water?" he asked.

'Chimp' had long black curly hair that touched his rounded shoulders, and he always looked towards the ground, walking with a lope. There was nothing much unique about him, except his penchant for hydroponics, his knowledge of cannabis growing. He seemed fairly trustworthy, but still was kind of imposed on Ray, but Ray had never voiced opposition, and if he seemed open to the idea of having a cannabis plant in the flat then they were going to come on in, and business had already begun.

Ray decided a bottle of cider was in order, but as he approached the fridge, he saw the stack of cards on the kitchen worktop near the kettle.

Fuckin' zodiac, he thought. So decided to grab the cards and leave the flat. He entered the lift and made his way to the top where at either end were cracked, unwashed windows. He walked to one and opened it, throwing the cards out. They fluttered in all directions, and were soon out of sight.

He decided to go and see Shane, and found he had to knock. The stocky balding man who was responsible for the weapons let him in, and he found Shane watching television, slouched with his arms folded. Ray joined him. When they spoke it was with hushed tones, even though what they were saying was no secret. It didn't matter if the dealer heard or not. He was in Shane's bedroom polishing the weapons, even though they didn't need it, kind of like a car enthusiast 'fixing' the car engine when it didn't need to be.

A knock came on the door and the dealer answered. Shane pressed mute on the remote. They listened to hear that it was a customer.

"...just having trouble with my neighbour, so I'd like to see the handguns please".

"Come in," the dealer said, and the customer followed him into the bedroom. Shane sighed, put the sound back on louder to the auction programme, and Ray decided to go back into own flat.

Chimp's friend Harry gave him an overview on how the equipment worked, cigarette curling smoke in one corner of his mouth, even though Ray didn't ask. It took up a lot of space. Four hydroponic pipes occupied a third of the living room, all jammed with cannabis plants, beneath which there was a water-pump, and above, hanging LED lamps with a pipe extractor leading to an open window.

That night, there were several taps on the door. Each time Chimp answered. The customers didn't need to come in. The deal was swift, and by midnight, he had a wad of notes, and there were even several customers throughout the night, with Harry answering. Chimp always seemed to have a bottle of water, and Ray never saw him smoke. Harry did, the kind of guy it was rare to see without a joint or cigarette between their fingers.

At one point during the night, because Harry had brought a sleeping bag and laid it out near the front door, he whispered loudly to Chimp who was lying on the couch.

"When shall we start with the coke?" Harry asked after closing the door on another customer.

"Soon as we can," Chimp replied. Ray didn't sleep well that night, longing for the couch at his and Caroline's house.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 27

 

Out in a timber gazebo Caroline had bought from work for half-price, she sat with her bridesmaids around a table and chairs set she had also bartered for at the garden centre. They were all drinking. Mandy peppermint tea, Sandie lucozade, Caroline lemonade, Leanne pineapple juice and Vanessa iced coffee.

"...so yes, we've got this mistress-slave thing going on. We both love it. So anyway Vanessa who's this violin player you're seeing?" said Sandie. Vanessa blushed slightly, although it was clear she was itching to talk about him.

"His name is Franklin Perry. He plays with the London Symphony Orchestra and when he has time off likes to go around the country practising by playing in the streets, earning some money that he anonymously gives to charity. I know he's loaded. He just loves playing so much".

"Someone's in lurrrve..." said Caroline. Vanessa looked away, said nothing but took a sip of her drink.

"What about this job of yours Leanne?" Mandy asked.

"Honestly," she said, "It's great. I'm a receptionist at the gym in town. So any of you pass by you'd better come in and say hi. My boss is an absolute pussycat. I think I can get away with anything. Everything's just so laid back and easy".

"So you're not going to pursue unfair dismissal for your other job?" asked Vanessa.

"Er..not quite. I think I'll drop that. I'll have a hard time convincing my parents though. If they think there's a case they're usually unrelenting. So, I'll just have to see how it goes...anyway Mandy, you daft fucking cow, why do you always take Carl back? Everyone here knows he's a loser, and if he was anyone else's boyfriend they would have kicked his arse out a long time ago". Mandy nodded, sipped her drink.

"I know, I know, you're right, but it's just, he's the kid's father, and being single again...I've known him for years".

"You're playing the same record," said Vanessa, "There's no way you can tell me there are no better men out there".

"There won't be many that are worse," said Sandie.

"...and muggins here knows he can just come straight back in anytime he likes. What did you say it was this time? mountaineering," said Leanne. They all laughed except Mandy, then they realised they were effectively making fun of her. Vanessa put her hand on her shoulder.

"I think you fell out of love with him years ago," said Caroline, "but you just haven't the courage to boot his sorry backside out". Mandy sighed, nodded and sipped her drink.

"You’re basically right Caroline. He's left me again, but I just know he's going to come back and make a show of me. We'll get back together, and we may be fine for a while. Then I'll do something to upset him".

"No Mandy," said Vanessa, "you do nothing to upset him. He just gets these bees in his bonnet. Thinking you've wronged him somehow".

"Should get one of your whips Sandie," said Leanne, "and beat him with it. I don't mean sexually either. Just beat fuck out of him. Or something harder. A baseball bat”.

"Leanne.." Mandy muttered. “It’s tempting though”. Out of the corner of her eye, through the patio doors Mandy saw movement in the front room.

"Is that your Ray?" she asked. Ray emerged from the shadows and opened the patio doors.

"Girls," he acknowledged. They all nodded and two waved.

"Just...had to get out of the flats for a while. Lee's turned it into a shopping arcade".

"Lee," said Caroline, smiling, looking at Sandie. "Your real fella".

"No he is not. I wouldn't go near him. I spoke to him for five minutes and that was all I needed to see he was not a nice person".

"Well he asked for your number when he got released". Sandie's eyes widened. "Did he?"

"Thanks Caroline..." said Ray.

"Well it's true".

"I gave him a false number. He tried to ring you but, well he found out and he wasn't happy with me, but I told him you had a boyfriend and he was okay then". Sandie looked around at the girls as if they had answers to an unasked question.

"Just let him forget about me Ray," she said. "Do not mention me in front of him. I want nothing to do with him. He's a bloody nut-case from what I understand, so don't remind him of me". Ray just nodded.

"Can you talk some sense into Mandy," said Leanne, "her stupid boyfriend keeps coming back but she