The Value of Life

  Chapter 23: K

  K Couldn't find a parking space in the street he wanted. He was forced to park in a tight spot two streets away. K climbed in the back of the van and dialed the number from his pay as you go mobile.

  "Hello is that Mrs. Bilham?" he asked.

  "Yes," the woman replied.

  "Good. This Mr. Lawler from Highfield School. Shea fell over in the classroom about half an hour ago. He hit his head quite hard. He seemed ok but then he started being sick."

  "Is he alright?" she interrupted.

  "Yes, yes. We think he's fine, but you know it's school policy to get children checked out when they hurt themselves like this. We called an ambulance and he's gone to A and E at Longmarsh General. The secretary went with him about ten minutes ago. We would have called sooner but we had trouble finding your number. His teacher says Anton's mother normally picks him up, so she'll explain what's happened."

  "You're sure he's okay?" she said.

  "Mrs. Bilham it's just a precaution, he was joking with the ambulance men when he left. He seemed fine."

  "Well, thank you very much for letting me know."

  "Shall I tell Mrs. Hill you're on your way?"

  "I've got to pick up my daughter from nursery but I'm leaving now so I should be about twenty minutes."

  "Okay, I'll pass it on. Thank you Mrs. Bilham"

  "Thanks. Bye." The woman hung up. K climbed back into the front of the van smiling. He started the engine and drove slowly into Langley Drive. Mrs. Bilham appeared between the parked cars and hurriedly got into a blue Mondeo.

  When she pulled out into the street K made for her parking spot. He backed in and stopped the van. Retrieving a large TV box from the slide door he wheeled it on a sack barrow to the front door of the house. He put his hands in his jacket pockets, one came out with a pen, the other a key. K kept the key hidden but clipped the pen to his shirt breast pocket. The houses in Langley Drive were larger, pre war, terraced houses, with a deep porch and generous front garden. They were certainly more valuable than the houses he'd already visited.

  K left the sack barrow on the step of the porch and pressed the bell. He leaned against the door-frame casually with the hand holding the key. His hand was right next to the lock. Using his body to hide his actions as much as possible K slipped the key into the lock. He hoped any watchers would just see the delivery man casually leaning in the doorway. He turned the key and pushed the door open a centimeter. He removed the key, stood upright and rang the bell again and put his hands in his pockets.

  With the toe of one shoe K pushed the door open. He stood talking to an imaginary occupant for thirty seconds and the wheeled the box inside. K closed the door with his elbow then pulled on a pair of rubber gloves. He didn't move from the tastefully decorated hallway. He parked the sack barrow two meters from the door, opened it, pulled out a bottle and a rag, then waited.

  Fifteen minutes passed very slowly. The front door was a rich dark hardwood, with a small semicircle of windows in the top. K didn't look out, but he heard the boy come up to the door. The bell rang. K opened the bottle and soaked the rag. He capped the bottle quickly and shoved it in his pocket.

  K pulled the door open with himself behind it, just half way. Shea Bilham came in. K shut the door and grabbed the boy in one quick movement. Shea struggled much more then the others, but the ether was fresh and the struggling stopped fairly quickly.

  K put the boy in the box but left his gloves on. He opened the front door and wheeled the sack barrow out. He pretended to talk to the occupant again for a few seconds, then shut the door. When the boy was in the van K climbed through into the front and drove away. He stopped around the corner in the same parking place as he had done before. In the back of the van K opened the box and removed the boy's right shoe. He walked back as he had done with the football boots at the Collridge's. K walked past the Bilhams' house and dropped the shoe in the next garden along. It really should have been the garden on the other side, but that garden had a high hedge and this side most of the garden was paved, so the shoe was easily visible.

  K walked back to the van, climbed in and drove away. Another job well done.