“Hah, you’re in too deep to even try and save yourself now.”
“Well, I wouldn’t be in ‘too deep’ if you hadn’t started getting twitchy and decided to run that lad over.”
“Boys, boys. Chill, have one of Edna’s hot chocolate specials, on the house, here you are.”
“Knocking the kid over was an accident. I was just trying to frighten him. Give him a big enough fright so he wouldn’t bother messing around that tree. Thought he might have found something.”
“And did he? You know, I’m beginning to wonder if you and Edna are setting me up.”
“Serve you right if we did. If your old man had been square with me about where he hid the stuff…well things would have been easier… No trust, that was his problem and yours too, it seems… I did twenty years because of that. Now I want what I’m entitled to.”
“Look, Phil and you too, Vic, the past is done with. Lets move on.”
“Well, the lad did find a stray coin…no, before you kick off, Phil, he knows nothing. All three came to the museum today to try and find out about the coin. Luckily, today was my day as a volunteer helper there – also helps me keep up to date with their security systems… But no, I don’t think they’ve connected it with anything…”
“You don’t think they’ve connected anything?”
Ryan looked at Holly and whispered, “sounds like there might be a fight.” Holly nodded and added, “they don’t sound like they trust each other.”
The next half hour seemed to drag as Edna, PC Grearson and Sinister Mister Fimister alternated between plotting, arguing and blaming each other and the two original, now deceased, gang members. Eventually the meeting was over. Holly managed to snatch back the microphone, unnoticed, from the window ledge just as Edna closed the window.
~~~
Back in Moggy’s bedroom, Ryan and Holly were relieved to find out they wouldn’t need to listen back to their recording of Edna, Grearson and Fimister as Moggy had been taking notes of the more important and interesting parts of the ‘meeting’.
“I tell you what,” Moggy said, excited, “this would make a triple triff film.”
“That good, eh?” Ryan yawned, bored. “You try crouching under the scout hut window for an hour, wondering if you’ll get discovered. Takes the triff out of exciting.” He gave a little smirk and yawned again.
Moggy’s gran knocked on his bedroom door and peeped in. “I made some sandwiches and sliced up a bit of cake for you. All this test revision must make you hungry.” She opened the door and carried in a tray and placed it on the bed. “Just give me a shout if you want anything else.” She smiled and left the room, closing the door behind her.
“Test revision?” Holly looked at Moggy.
“I said to her, we’re testing some new computer equipment…she must have got confused.” Moggy gave a what-can-you-do shrug, took a sandwich and continued.
“Anyway, we know a bit more now. Fimister was part of the robbery gang. I reckon, as Grearson’s dad and the other one are dead, Fimister’s real name he must be Marshall. Not sure why Edna is Preece and not Marshall though? But he obviously changed his name at some point.”
“She got married, dummy!” said Holly between sandwich bites.
Moggy smiled, obvious really. He went on to explain that it seemed PC Grearson’s dad had hidden the stolen coins and the helmet but had been killed in a shoot-out with the police before he had been able to tell the others the hiding place or places.
“Remember that map at PC Grearson’s?” Moggy asked not expecting or waiting for an answer, “well they must have been using that to mark off where they had searched. You see, as soon as Fimister got out of prison he came looking for the gold. But he also got Edna and PC Grearson in on the searching. I mean, who is going to turn down that sort of money?”
“I’m in,” said Ryan. “Take me to the gold!”
“But Fimister said they’d already found the coins,” Holly looked at Moggy for confirmation. He nodded and flicked through his notes, “they found the coins buried inside the tree trunk on Gallows Lane, yes that tree! Must have dropped or missed the one that I found. But, it sounds like they haven’t found the helmet yet.” Moggy pointed at his PC screen. “I managed to find this picture of a similar Saxon helmet.”
“Nice,” said Ryan. “Probably not road legal for use with a motorbike.” He stared at the picture then exclaimed, it’s in the Hanging Tree, isn’t it!”
Holly nodded slowly, “I bet it is. Either that or buried around it. And that explains why the work on the school pool has been suddenly stopped! Sinister Fimister was scared in case someone else found it. Must be well hid if no one has found it in 20 years or whatever it is. But then the coins went undiscovered too...” She thought for a moment before adding, “That letter the man at the school swimming site was given…I bet it was a forgery either that or Sinister Fimister has paid someone off at the council.”
Moggy agreed then looked at Holly and Ryan, “But tonight is the night they reckon they are going to get the helmet.” He waved his notes, “Sinister Mister Fimister has a contact in Europe who’s going to buy the lot!”
The three friends fell silent and looked at each other. At that moment Holly glanced out the window. A car had just pulled up outside Moggy’s house. Holly looked at Ryan and Moggy; “I think we may be in trouble, PC Grearson has just arrived.”
Before Holly, Ryan and Moggy could do anything, Moggy’s gran was calling for them to come down stairs.
“Neil, you and your friends need to come down. Mr, sorry, PC Grearson needs to talk to you.”
When Moggy, Ryan and Holly walked into the dining room, PC Grearson was sitting at the oblong oak dining table sipping at a cup of tea. Moggy placed his e-tab on the table and pulled out a chair. Ryan and Holly remained standing.
PC Grearson put down the cup and smiled. “I hear you were at the museum today. It seems you left our mutual acquaintance a little, shall we say, disappointed?”
Ryan shrugged, “so?”
“I think he was disappointed it wasn’t a chocolate coin.” Holly suggested.
“Look, I think we need to stop all this silliness.” PC Grearson pulled a small wallet out of his shirt pocket. He opened it and took out a laminated identity card and passed it to Moggy. “As you can see my name is Philip Grearson but I am an undercover investigator for the Arts, Antiquities and Cultural Department of the British Museum. One of my jobs is to track down stolen antiquities.”
“But your dad or uncle or whatever was in the gang that stole the coins!” Moggy blurted, disbelieving.
PC Grearson nodded. It was his father and knowing just what he had done made him become an investigative archaeologist and join the British Museum.
Holly nodded slowly, “sounds like it could be convincing… What do you want from us?”
PC Grearson leaned forward and looked at the three friends, “I need to know what you know and how many coins you found.”
Ryan began to say they had recorded everything but was abruptly cut off by Holly; “everything we know is recorded, you know, written down. All in a book.”
PC Grearson nodded, then Holly continued, “Moggy, sorry, Neil, only found one coin… Are there many missing?” PC Grearson gave a non-committal shrug and asked, “anything else?”
Holly nodded and explained they knew there was a helmet too and that it was gold and worth a lot. She thought it better to leave out that they knew about Sinister Fimister’s plan to try and get that night.
PC Grearson stood up; for a moment he studied the three friends as if mulling something over in his mind. Then he spoke; “I need you to promise me something, will you do that?”
“Tell us what it is first,” Ryan eyed the policeman suspiciously. Moggy nodded, adding; “I mean, first you’re a policeman then you’re a museum spy or whatever…”
PC Grearson nodded, agreeing. “I understand. But you must trust me. Victor Fimister has found the location of the helmet a
nd is set on getting his hands on it tonight. My team is already in place, awaiting my signal to move in. I must ask you, not to go anywhere near the school, scout hut, parish rooms or park tonight. Better still, just stay indoors.”
Holly, Ryan and Moggy nodded. PC Grearson thanked them, thanked Moggy’s gran who was knitting in the front room, then let himself out. As soon as the front door had closed, Holly turned to Moggy and asked for his binoculars. Moggy nodded upstairs. Holly told Ryan to get a pen and paper and follow her.
Back in Moggy’s bedroom, Holly stood at the window using Moggy’s broken,
one-sided binoculars to spy on PC Grearson.
“What’s he doing?” asked Ryan sitting back on the bed, pen and paper ready in his hands.
Holly stood back slightly from the window to avoid being spotted, the broken binoculars were on full zoom. “He’s standing at the side of his car with the door open. Looks like he’s making a phone call, mobile pressed to his ear. Waiting for an answer… Wait, he’s talking…. Start writing down what I say:
Vic. Me.
Just come out…only… one coin.
No…don’t seem to know much about the helmet.
Warned them off.
Vic. Stop worrying. Kids can be silenced.
Let them keep their coin.
…with…helmet we have plenty…
Holly watched PC Grearson put his phone away, get into his car and drive off. She put the binoculars down and turned to face Ryan. Moggy having made his way upstairs backwards, one stair at a time, joined them. “You lip read?” he asked plonking himself down on the bed next to Ryan.
Holly nodded; “my mother taught me, she’s been slowly losing her hearing for years.” She glanced back at the window. “He’s gone now.” She pushed her fingers through her hair and gave her head a little shake. “I think he’s lying… Undercover museum agent! I think he just wanted to know what we know.”
Ryan nodded. “I think it’s time for another plan…”
Moggy agreed, “a very good, double, triple triff plan.”
~~~~~
seven
The Thursday after Easter ~ sunset
Moggy’s bedroom
The plan Holly, Moggy and Ryan came up with was simple, easy and straightforward…
On a piece of paper Moggy had drawn a flow chart. The chart mapped out their route starting from his house, then on to the school car park, the school field/building site, the Hanging Tree, finding the Saxon helmet and then back to the finishing point, Moggy’s house. The exact details would be filled in as they went or, more likely, as Holly pointed out, as they happened!
The three friends made their way in the falling darkness from Moggy’s house, along Latimer Road and out onto Church Road. Walking briskly, more from nervousness than zeal, they passed the scout hut but suddenly stopped when they reached the Parish Rooms. Moggy was out in front, having perfected his ungainly moonwalk shuffle to allow him to move, without the crutch, at a reasonable walking pace. He turned and said, “Do you think we should go the other way?”
“Well, I suppose it would make more sense. I mean…”
Ryan interrupted and finished Holly’s sentence for her; “…it would be less obvious. Chances are one of them will either be on look out in the school car park or at the field entrance.”
Moggy nodded and suggested they go along the narrow lane next to the side of the scout hut. The cloudy, moonless sky and tall, leafy trees that bordered the path would
provide good cover.
The trees followed the length of the path from the end of the scout hut, along the top part of the school field and finished near the village park. A quarter of the way along the path was a small latch gate. Moggy, Holly and Ryan reached the gate unnoticed and slipped quietly into the school field, swiftly taking up crouched positions a safe distance from the Hanging tree, the darkened lane and fence to their backs.
After a few minutes of crouching in silence, Moggy passed Holly his e-tab and whispered that he was going back to the gate where he’d be able to stand up, “my leg’s getting all pins and needles,” he said.
Holly whispered ‘OK’ and watched Moggy disappear behind her into the gloom. She stretched out on her front on the dampening grass and nudged Ryan for him to do the same. She then pointed the e-tab at the Hanging Tree and touched an icon on the dimmed screen. A soft, dull green glow emanated from the screen. Ryan checked his phone was on silent then whispered into it, “all set, Moggs?” An immediate reply came from Moggy, “triff, all set here.”
Ryan nudged Holly, “can you zoom in a bit?”
Holly increased the zoom on the e-tab and as the image on the screen blurred then sharpened, the night vision app showed the tree and, more importantly, two figures moving from the car park toward the tree.
On their way to the field, Moggy, Ryan and Holly had talked about the physical size of the Hanging Tree and that it was supposed to be two oak trees that had grown on the same spot and merged into each other. At some point in the distant past and certainly before it became known as the ‘Hanging Tree’ a woodcutter or woodsman had cut an archway through the merged trunks. Surprisingly this had not killed either tree. Folklore then said that either a witch or hermit began living in the arch-cut trunk.
The Hanging Tree’s archway was hardly noticeable as a manmade feature these days, although it was still possible to squeeze inside and share the space with a mix of vines, brambles, nettles and assorted spiders and creepy-crawlies. Apart from this, inside the tree it was almost possible for a fully-grown person to stand completely upright and certainly big enough for a small person to sit or even curl up more or less comfortably.
In the 1950’s the Parish Council, hoping to make a feature of it, put a circular iron railing around the tree with a little gate. The gate was long gone and the iron railing was rusted and broken and had not been painted for many years. The Hanging Tree was little more than a curiosity these days…
In the school field Ryan and Holly stared intently at the screen of the e-tab as the two figures from the car park reached the tree and one crouched, then crawled and disappeared into the tree arch. The other figure stood slightly away from it, their back turned to Ryan and Holly.
“Lets see if we can get a little closer,” Ryan whispered to Holly.
Holly nodded then whispered back, “we’ll need to crawl…hope there isn’t any dog pooh about.” Ryan gave her a little nudge and let Moggy know what they were doing. A hushed voice came through Ryan’s phone reminding them to be careful.
After crawling forward on their tummies, just enough to halve the distance to the tree, Ryan and Holly stopped. They were now close enough to see the figure standing next to the tree without needing the e-tabs night vision app and to hear him also. However, Holly kept the e-tab aimed at the tree and on record. She placed her head close to Ryan’s and whispered, “That looks like Grearson to me. Sinister must be in the tree.”
Ryan whispered back, “Look, he’s coming out now. Do you think he has it?”
Holly shook her head, “doesn’t look like it…listen, what’s he saying?”
“Not sure… C’mon, lets see if we can get even closer…” Ryan began to slowly edge himself forward and Holly reluctantly followed.
The two moved on their tummies until they were close enough to hear Sinister Fimister tell PC Grearson, he wasn’t tall enough to reach the helmet, Grearson would need to get it.
PC Grearson crawled into the tree, disappearing from sight. Fimister leaned over the entrance and told Grearson where to reach. He then stood back and removed something from his pocket.
Holly angled the e-tab slightly up and tried to focus in a little better, not easy with the low light and night vision app. However, it did give a clear enough image for Holly to give a little gasp and shuffle back a bit. “Ryan, is that a gun he’s holding?”
Ryan stared at the e-tab screen then over at the figure of Fimister. He nodd
ed, it could be a gun. He tapped out a text on his mobile phone; Mogg think F has gun.
Moggy replied, keep out of sight. Make sure not seen.
Ryan and Holly continued watching; after what seemed 10 minutes or so Grearson crawled out of the tree, clutching something. He stood up and dusted off the package and spoke to Fimister: “it certainly looks well rapped. It was wedged hard into a niche…shall we unwrap it now?”
Ryan and Holly watched as Fimister waved the gun at Grearson; “I’ll unwrap it later. But this is where you and I part ways. Now hand it over.”
Grearson laughed at Fimister; “so, you and your sister are cutting me out?”
Fimister shook his head; “half sister and no, just me. I suppose I am just a little too greedy. I slipped enough sleeping pills into Edna’s flask of coffee to make sure she sleeps until tomorrow lunchtime. By now she should have drained the flask and will be snoring her head off in her car in the cap park. If you listen carefully, you might be able to hear her.” Fimister laughed sarcastically. “No harm done, though, she was poor before and she’ll still be poor when she wakes up. Now hand over the helmet or I’ll use this.”
Without further warning, Fimister squeezed the gun’s trigger. However there was no gunshot, instead two darts with wires attached shot out of the gun and lodged themselves in Grearson’s chest.