They have a drink. A bite to eat.
An hour later they stop at Diamond Detectives to pick up the key and the money. Vince Taylor isn’t about. Just his old secretary Joyce. Jen has never met Joyce before. Joyce gives them a cup of tea. Tries to get hold of Vince. She says Vince is a bit down in the dumps at the moment. Looks like she’s had enough herself The Mechanic asks her if there’s anything him and Jen can do. She shakes her head. Locks herself in the toilet for ten minutes.
Vince isn’t going to show.
They finish their tea. Make their excuses. Joyce gives them the key. The money. Theytake the A44 outto Leominster then the A49 straight up to Shrewsbury. Jencounts the money. Theyfind the house. Two-up, two-down terrace near Sutton Road. They let themselves in. The Mechanic makes another phone call.
They sit down. Stick the telly on. Wait –
Bad weather. Bad dreams all night.
The Yorkshire Area Executive had defied the High Court injunction on picketing and the pickets continued to fly. The Yorkshire Area had been found in contempt of court and the bailiffs dispatched –
The Yorkshire Industrial Action Fund already exhausted.
The President sent Terry Winters and Mike Sullivan back to Huddersfield Road again.
This time they weren’t alone –
Two thousand from the Yorkshire Coalfield had answered the President’s call; two thousand miners here to defend the battlements of King Arthur’s (former) Castle, ringing the black, stained bricks of the Yorkshire HQ –
Four thousand eyes watching and waiting for the bailiffs.
In an upstairs room Terry and Mike shredded papers.
There were scuffles outside. The men attacked photographers and camera crews. The police stepped in. Punches were thrown. Arrests made.
Clive Cook brought in more boxes. Terry and Mike shredded more papers.
There was a sudden, huge cheer from the men outside –
Terry and Mike went to the window.
Clive came back with the last box. He said, ‘The Board’s abandoned the action.’
The Tinkerbell doesn’t knock. They never do. He has his own key. Doesn’t introduce himself. Never do. Wise men. He has a good look at Jen, then takes his gear straight up to the little bedroom. The Mechanic sends Jen out to buy a pint of milk. He reads yesterday’s paper again. Jen comes back. It’s raining outside. She makes a pot. The Mechanic takes a cup up to the Tinkerbell. He’s sitting on the bed with his headphones on and his notebook out. The Mechanic taps him on the shoulder. The Tinkerbell jumps. The Mechanic hands him the mug. The Tinkerbell nods. The Mechanic goes back downstairs.
Half-twelve, Jen goes out for fish and chips. The Mechanic sits and waits for The One o’Clock News. Jen comes back with the chips. The Mechanic sticks some on a plate for the Tinkerbell and takes them up. He’s still sitting on the bed with his headphones on. He nods. The Mechanic goes back downstairsto Jen.Theyeat lunch. Jenmakes a fresh pot.TheMechanic does the dishes.
Three o’clock, the Tinkerbell comes downstairs. He hands the Mechanic a piece of paper –
The Mechanic reads it. Picks up the phone.
Hour later, Julius Schaub arrives with Leslie in a red Ford Escort. Schaub’s grown his hair out since the Mechanic saw him last. Leslie looks exactly the same. The Mechanic doesn’t introduce them to Jen. Schaub keeps it shut. He’s been warned. He’s on his best behaviour. The Mechanic gives them their instructions. He takes Jen up to the little bedroom with him. The Tinkerbell is sitting on the bed with his headphones on. Notebook out. He turns to look at them. He shakes his head. They sit down on the bed next to him to wait –
Bad weather. Bad dreams all night.
Just after half-seven the Tinkerbell nudges the Mechanic. He taps his headphones. He puts his thumb up. The Mechanic and Jen go back downstairs. Wake up Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum.
They leave the house.
Schaub and Leslie take the Escort. The Mechanic and Jen take the Rover.
Both cars drive to Sutton Road. The Escort parks at one end of the street, the Rover at the other. Schaub gets out of his car. Leslie stays put behind the wheel. The Mechanic gets out the Rover. Jen stays where she is.
The Mechanic takes the bag out of the boot. He walks along the street. He comes to the house. He goes up the drive. Schaub already has the back door open. They go inside. The Mechanic opens the bag. He hands Schaub a camera–
Schaub takes the upstairs. The Mechanic the downstairs.
The Mechanic goes through the kitchen into the living room and then the study. He searches drawers and bookshelves for twenty minutes.
Schaub comes back downstairs into the study. He shakes his head.
They leave the house. They close the back door. They go down the drive.
The Mechanic walks back to the Escort with Schaub –
Schaub gets into the front. The Mechanic the back.
Leslie turns round –
The Mechanic shakes his head.
Schaub says, ‘She must have it on her.’
‘Like where?’ Leslie asks him.
He pulls out a large white pair of women’s knickers from the inside of his jacket. He holds them up. He laughs and says, ‘Hide all sorts in these sexy things.’
The Mechanic leans forward. He grabs Schaub by his hair. Pulls his head over the backof the seat –
Whispers in Schaub’s ear, ‘I thought it was kids you liked. Your own.’
‘Fuck off,’ shouts Schaub. ‘Fuck off!’
The Mechanic pushes him forward again. He leans over the seat with him –
Bangs Schaub’s forehead once onto the top of the dashboard.
‘Fuck!’ screams Schaub. ‘Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!’
‘Take him back to the house,’ the Mechanic tells Leslie. ‘Wait for me there.’
Leslie nods. He starts the car.
The Mechanic gets out. He walks back down the street to the Rover. Gets in.
‘What’s wrong?’ asks Jen.
‘Nothing,’ the Mechanic says. ‘Have to go out to the cottage.’
Jen starts the car. They drive out to Four Crosses and turn off up to Llanymynech. Theystopat a phonebox.TheMechanic calls the number –
Lets it ring. Ring and ring. No one answers.
They find the cottage. They park.
The Mechanic takes the bag off the backseat. He gets out –
Jen waits in the car.
The Mechanic walks up the path. He does the door. He goes inside. He searches the place. He goes back outside. He locks the lock. He walks down the path –