This story is for persons of eighteen years or over. All comments, good or bad, are welcome and all will be answered.
Part Two
Penny was surprised that it was Anne who arrived first, exactly on the dot of ten, expecting it to be Jane.
Come in Anne, come in,' she said in welcome, and they kissed on the cheek. You're the first. Here, let me take your coat,' She helped her off with it and hung it on the stand behind the front door. This way,' and led her into the large sitting room then stopped. No. I think we would be a bit more comfortable in the kitchen. At least I won't have to keep traipsing back and forwards with the tea and coffee,' she rattled on, leading Anne down through the house to the kitchen. `Now sit where you want. I'll put the kettle on.' Anne sat down, looking round the large kitchen.
`My, it's big isn't it.'
`Too bloody big for me. Nearly all the other houses are subdivided into flats. I believe that they are at least six to each house, but he wanted it for the address. Knightsbridge and all that. Bloody snob. I see you've brought some things with you. Are they, er, what we talked about?'
`Yes. I hope I've got it right,' she answered, reaching into the small carrier bag.
`Let's wait until the others come, shall we? Here's your tea and I'll just go and get my notes,' and she left Anne alone in the kitchen.
The doorbell rang and Anne got up and went to the kitchen door and looked out. No sound of Penny and the bell rang again, so Anne went through the hall and opened the front door.
Hello Anne,' Jane said in surprise. I`ve just lost my bet. With a house this size, I expected a maid to answer the door.' Anne stood aside to let her in.
Hello Jane, nice to see you again.' They brushed cheeks just as Penny came down the stairs. Oh good. I was right at the top when I heard the bell. How are you Jane,' she said moving forward for the friendly clasp and kiss on the cheek.
`Bloody marvellous, and you?'
`Feeling much better for seeing that there's two of you now.
Only Francis to come now. Let me have your coat.' She was just hanging it up when the bell sounded again and the open door revealed Francis herself.
`Just saying that you were the last.'
Hellos were said as Francis took off her coat and for Penny to hang it up for her. `Into the kitchen with you now. Anne, show them the way, there's a dear.' Penny said and finished with Francis's coat, she followed them.
`Nice big kitchen you've got here,' Jane said.
`That's what I said,' Anne answered.
Penny threw her folder on the table and put the kettle on again.
`Tea? Coffee?' It was tea for Francis and coffee for Jane. They settled at the table making small talk until the cups were put down and then Penny sat down with her cup and looked at the others.
`Well here we are. Our little circle,' Jane said.
`Hmmph. More like a square the way we're sitting, one opposite each other,' said Penny.
The square circle,' Anne said, I like that.'
`That sounds good,' said Francis.
`Excellent! That's what we should use when we have to talk in public in reference to ourselves. The Square Circle, very good Anne. Now to business! Let's reaffirm why we are here.' Jane put her hand out on the table, open and with the palm upwards.
`I am here to plan and ask you three women to kill my husband. I swear not to tell another living soul of anything we say or do in respect of this matter, and here is my hand on it.'
Penny put her hand out and covered that of Jane's.
`I too am here for you three women to kill my husband. I will help and plan it and swear not to speak of this to any living soul so help me God.' Jane's hand squeezed that of Penny's. Francis placed her hand on that of the other two on the table.
`I am here for you three women to kill my husband and I will help and plan it. I swear not to speak of this to anyone at all, so help me God.'
Anne's hand slowly reached out across the table and put it, trembling slightly, with the others.
`I...I also am here to help plan for you three to kill my husband. Nothing said between us will ever pass my lips, so help me God.'
All four hands were shaken across the table, Anne's face was very white, and Penny gave her hand an extra little squeeze as she smiled at her.
`Now for us to do this right and make each one appear to be an accident, we must have meticulous planning the whole way through. So let each of us give out as much as we can about our husbands so that plans can be made for, well we know what result we want. Okay, who's going to speak first?' Jane asked.
`I'll start the ball rolling with my albatross,' Penny said.
`Pardon?' asked Jane, looking perplexed.
Albatross,' answered Anne, from The Ancient Mariner,' which did nothing to enlighten her.
William Swithers', Penny started, handing round photos, is thirty nine years of age, and lives, ha, ha, at this address. His clinic is at,' she consulted her notes and told them the address, `which is just off Sloane Square where he is a consultant.
What exactly it is he is consulted about, I've never asked, except that I know he helps young girls who get into trouble out of the trouble they found themselves in. They're usually rich young things that the trouble would hurt their social standing as well as embarrass their parents. In other words, he gets them in the family way and then makes the parents pay a hefty fee for him to get them out of their problem. Abortionist is the word that springs to mind. We holiday on the Riviera, where he can get more girls into trouble.
He's a non smoker but does like to drink in a fashionable little club just off the King's Road. He's a sucker for pretty women and I'm afraid that he'd have to be lured by sex.'
`He looks a dish. I wouldn't mind being the lure if that's okay with you Penny?' Francis said, holding his photograph in her hand.
`It would mean having sex with him, I mean. To hook him as it were.'
`That I wouldn't mind,' Francis replied with a smile.
`Well he's good in that department, if my memory serves me right,' she said, scratching her head and giving a quizzical look.
This drew small titters from them all. `He also has a habit of trying to put people down, for example, at any function he would introduce himself and then say as an afterthought, "Oh, P.S. This is my wife Penny Swithers, get it? P.S.?' then he would laugh thinking it uproarious.' Penny gave them a weak smile.
`Well to finish it off, oh that's good! No, the last bit is that I could be taking a short vacation with friends in Paris when the deed is being done? Now that's my lot of notes, now who'll speak next?' Anne raised her hand.
`I'd like to get mine said next please.'
`Go ahead then,' Jane replied. Anne cleared her throat and read from her notes.
We...no...er, I...er, Let me start again. His name is Robert Seymour and he is thirty six. Our home is a cottage in Hertfordshire, about twenty five minutes from Bishops Stortford where he is an Assistant Bank Manager. He doesn't smoke and we don't have a car. He travels to work by bus, which he gets outside the pub, which is also the bus stop. His hobby...'
What time?' Francis interrupted. The bus time I mean.'
At eighty twenty every morning. It drops him right outside the bank at five to nine.' Francis nodded, and Anne continued, His hobby is calligraphy and...'
`What's that?' queried Jane.
Calligraphy is the art of writing. You know, fancy letters of the alphabet, like what you see in old manuscripts. He's a light drinker and only goes to the pub on a Thursday night. He leaves the house at seven thirty and from the pub at ten thirty. It takes exactly ten minutes to walk. He's a time freak, if you know what I mean. The alarm goes off at seven ten each morning. He gets up and shaves, farts and shits, if you'll excuse me,' she said, going red. yes, he even shits by the clock.
Then he has a bath and is down stairs dressed and ready for his breakfast, which must be ready on the table by exactly seven forty five. It takes him just under twenty minutes and then he's off to catch the bus. He arrives home at exactly six thirty five, washes and changes and is at the table for his dinner at six fifty. The evenings vary slightly, except Thursday, and he has hot chocolate at ten forty five and he is asleep at eleven. There's not much variation at the weekends except he stays at home.' Anne put her notes down and looked around the table. Penny was looking at his photo.
`I'd have killed the shit years ago, You poor girl,' and she put her hand out and held that of Anne.
`Yes, well that will be sorted out. Next? Francis?' Jane asked.
`Mine is called Stephen. There are several different pictures of him there. He's forty two years old and is a civil servant. We've been married for twenty two years now.'
Wow,' Jane breathed, oh sorry Francis.' Francis smiled and continued. `We have a detached house in Malden, and he drives into Chelmsford every day, parks up, and then goes on by train to London. He leaves the house at seven each morning and generally arrives home about six thirty, except on Friday's. He leaves work early so can reach home at any time on that day. I'm not sure exactly where his office is, I just know that it's somewhere just off Whitehall. He's a moderate smoker, well they can't smoke in his building, and he doesn't drink much. We take our holidays either in Spain or Italy once a year but not always the same date.
We have one daughter, Silvia, and she is married and lives in the States. We don't correspond that often and I think that I would like to go over there to see her when, when... Oh hobbies, I nearly forgot. There's only one and that is watching dirty videos, you know, those late night adult channel films. That's it.'
`Well done Francis. That leaves you Jane. Ready?' Penny asked.
Yes. Michael Pound. Self made bookmaker. Started by taking bets on street corners and pubs till it was made legal. We live in a big house outside Bagshot. We have a car, but he also uses cabs. No children. No hobbies except reading anything about racing. I don't go to every meeting and I know that when I don't, he picks up some tart and then I might not see him for several days. Heavy smoker and drinks a lot. He only goes to the North of England when it's a really big race meeting, otherwise he confines himself to the Southern courses. We go to Spain most times for a holiday when the flat season ends, that's if he's made enough money. If it's alright with you all, I'd like to take a cruise when it's my turn.' She smiled at this last remark. Thank you all, I think we've done very well.'
Yes,' Penny said, now it's time for lunch, who's going to help?' They all helped in one way or another, getting plates out, prepared dishes from the fridge. Glasses were found as Penny opened some wine bottles. It was a merry little lunch for them all, happy that had now made the first steps towards their own personal freedom.
They washed and dried up the dishes and with their glasses refilled took their places back at the table.
`Before we can even think of our plans for, for what we are, sorry. For what we will do, we must first get them to sign the necessary forms increasing their life insurance. This is going to be the hardest task of all. Each of us has got to convince the men that more insurance cover is needed. Also it is going to take time, so don't get agitated, and carry on as normal. Because we won't be able to control how much they are going to be insured for, we'll have to set up some means of pooling the money so that we can have an equal share out when it's all over.
We'll come back to that later. I've given it a lot of thought and we have to be able to communicate with each other without revealing our identity to any outsiders or any investigation.'
Jane paused and took a sip of her wine.
`Let's use it alphabetical so that we all will know who is being referred to. Anne being number one so Francis will be number two, then me as three and Penny as four. This will not be the necessary order for what will come later. I'm sorry to be doing all the talking, please jump in at any time if you want to.' Jane said.
`You're doing just fine Jane,' Penny said going to the wine rack and getting, and opening another bottle, the other two nodded, glad that one of the others had taken up the baton so to speak.
Okay. Now let's start the insurance ball rolling? First is that we've got to come up with some story for our husbands. You've got to convince him that you both need it. Like if you have a mortgage, that's got to be paid off. Funeral expenses are going up. Oh what will I do without you to look after me, wailing with a wringing of hands? You get the idea?' They all nodded. Get him to go for as much as the insurance company will swallow bearing in mind his age. Then, when all is signed and sealed, let us know. First the name of the insurance company...' Penny interrupted her.
`Shouldn't we know now what insurance companies we use? This will save time.'
`Quite right,' Jane conceded and they all in turn said what company they were already using. With both Jane and Penny using the same one, Jane said that she would seek out another one to use.
`Phew, this is thirsty work,' she said and took several large sips from her glass and Penny refilled it for her.
Now how to communicate privately,' she said continuing. Each of us should use some Internet café, not the nearest one, and set up an E-mail address as soon as possible using your own personal number in the address, but let us avoid using the square circle in this. Then we can meet again and pass them across to each other, but try to remember them, because any copies must be destroyed when we actually begin operations.
With these addresses set up we only need to check them sporadically till the insurance side is tied up. Now any questions?'
Yes,' from Penny. How long do you think that would be.'
`Let's hope it's not longer than a couple of months.'
`And the other bit, you know?' Anne asked.
`To sort out all four, we'll see if we can do it within four months.'
`That'll be about six months then,' Anne again.
`Oh shit. I would like mine to be out of the way next week.' Francis said with a resigned look on her face.
`But look at the payout,' Penny chipped in.
`That I've got to look into about the money being pooled without our names being linked and yet we can still get it out when we want to share out. Now the last thing for this meeting is to say that let's actually get together sometimes where it looks like we can make the accidents happen. We need to view the locations for all sorts of reasons, so we do a survey, talk it over, make a plan and then pick holes in it. We'll have about three months to work them out, so don't let's worry too much about it at the moment. If that's it then, let's meet up in four weeks time here, just to pass out our E-mail addresses, if that's alright with you Penny?'
`No problem,' she replied.
`Okay, all happy with that?' Jane asked.
There were murmurs of agreement and they all got up and made their way to the hall and put on their coats.
`Do we have to leave at five minute intervals and take different routes?' Anne asked. The others laughed.
Not at this stage I should think. Not until after the insurance side is completed,' Penny laughed, you've seen too many spy films.'
With that, they all kissed cheeks and the three girls said goodbye to Penny till the following month.
It didn't take Penny long to set up her E-mail address, and hoped that the others found it just as easy. What took her quite a bit of time was trying to gather documentation as to extent of the finances of William and herself, and then what insurance policies they had, and how much they would realise when converted. It worked out that if he were to die the next day, the insurance would not even cover the existing mortgage. She then calculated his future income for another twenty years based on what he had told her a few years ago, halved it, and that was what she wanted the new policy to pay out. Now she had to get him to agree to it.
Then she was most surprised that when she broached the subject a few days later he agreed with her. Get the insurance company to send round an agent and sort it out, he told her. The agent duly visited her and told her what the additional premium would cost, left her the filled in papers for her husband's signature and left. William signed them that evening.
This was just a few days before the square circle met again.
Anne and Francis met coming out of the tube station and had walked to Penny's house together and met up with Jane at the corner of the street. So with the door only being opened once, they were gathered together again. After the normal greetings, they were soon around the kitchen table again with their coffee and tea. Penny was bubbling inside, but held back to make it a surprise at the end.
`Francis?' Jane asked, taking the chair again.
`Yes I have my address. I've made three copies, here,' and she passed round the slips of paper.
`Oh, I didn't make copies,' said Anne.
It doesn't matter,' said Jane, we can copy your one.'
`Well here's it is,' and Anne waited for them to note it down and then took it back and put it in her handbag. Jane then passed hers round and so did Penny.
`Now how are getting on with the insurance, Anne?' Jane asked.
`Well I've got to first base. Robert working in a bank helps in that he knows the value of insurance, but I don't know how much I can push him to go for.' Anne said rather apologetically.
`Well hit him with the fact that in ten, twenty years from now, the cost of living, hell everything will be more than double what it is now. That's what I'm hitting Stephen with,' Francis said.
`I've hit on a way of getting Mike to sign the goddam papers. I do his tax returns for him. All I do is get lots of papers that he has to sign and just slip the insurance one in the middle for his signature.' Jane assured them. They looked at Penny and she was smiling back at them.
I've saved us a few months,' she said gleefully, William's already signed his form and I've posted it.'
`Well done!' Jane said
`Hooray,' cried Anne.
`Now we're moving somewhere,' Francis said with a laugh.
`Yes we are now on the road,' Penny agreed, and told them which insurance company and for how much.
Events began moving faster than they had planned. They all thought that as soon as they got the insurance side tied up, they could get on with it, and E-mails began to cross each other.
`From number three to number one. Tied up etc.'
`One to two. Not as much as four, but...etc'
`Three to two. Please slow down.'
`Two to three. Too late. Details are...'
`Four to numbers one, two and three. Meet my place, same time, ten days from this date.'
It was only two months since they last sat round the kitchen table at Penny's, and they looked abashed at just having received a tongue lashing from Jane.
`Two months! It should have been spread over six at least. Insurance companies do talk to each other. What would happen if four insurance agents from different companies got together for a drink, and each boasted that they'd just sold a hefty life insurance policy? Wouldn't something click? It damn well would if I were one of them!' She slammed her hand on the kitchen table and knocked back her glass of wine.
The only good thing is,' she said after Penny had refilled her glass, that they are all with different companies, and spread around the country. What's done is done, it can't be helped now.'
For pooling the money, I have an idea, Penny said, `but I've not yet sorted out the details. Meanwhile, I've gone through the notes you left here, and come up with some ideas, but we've actually got to go over the ground ourselves. To find the right places for what we are going to do. As I said before, some will have to be entrapped by sex. I'm prepared to do it if necessary and you offered, I believe Francis, with my William?'
`Yes please,' she smiled round at the others.
The one I think that I'll have to take on will be Michael,' looking at Jane, that okay with you?'
`Can you look like a tart?' she asked.
`You don't have to look like a tart to be one, ducky,' Penny replied.
`I think I should be saying Touché to that, but somehow I feel that I would be wrong,' Jane said with a frown.
Correct,' Penny said dryly. To continue. The operation involving Francis would take at least three weeks to get him on the hook. With me, one week, maybe two. So for all of us to be available, these two would be either third or fourth to be done. Now also from the notes, Anne must be freed first so that she can then be available at all times, making Stephen second to free up Francis for her role playing. Any questions so far?'
`Why mine first? Not that I'm objecting.' Anne asked.
`No offence intended, but you seem to be the one of us who is tied down the most. It seems that you would have the most difficulty in getting out on your own, and Robert has fixed habits, which help us.'
`True, so I get to go on holiday?' she said with a smile in her voice.
`Yes. But you will be the grief stricken wife when you are told the news on your return. As we all will when our turn comes round.' Chuckles of laughter and smiles round the table.
`But how do I suddenly get to go on holiday, and where does the money come from. He won't give it to me just like that.' Anne asked, a frown creasing her face.
`What you've got to do is just say that you've decide you need a break. A holiday and say that you are going whether he likes it or not. You bumped into an old school friend who said that because another friend of hers dropped out at the last moment and you were offered the chance of this free holiday. Then you can book it two weeks before we hit. You do have a passport?'
`Yes, but he'll argue against me going.'
Let him,' said Jane, put your foot down. It'll only be for a short time that you've got to worry about him.'
Anne nodded and fell silent, `I'll do it,' she said quietly.
Can you get out Thursday Jane, Francis?' Penny asked them. Both said that they would manage somehow. Okay. Be here by lunchtime on Thursday. I'll have a hire car ready and we can look over Anne's village.'
The meeting broke up and as they were going out, Penny put her arm round Anne's shoulder and pushed an envelope into her bag.
Book the holiday as soon as possible, because I've got an idea we will be able to sort it out over the next two weeks. So three weeks from now, be off skiing in Switzerland. There's enough money there for the ticket and something to spend while you're there. No,' putting her finger up to Anne's lips, save it for when we meet after you get back. When you're able, check your E-mail. Now have a nice holiday because we won't see you till we call a meeting after it's done. But don't forget the grieving part when you're told the news. Just don't overdo it, that's all.' She gave her a kiss on the lips and gently eased her out to join the others.
Thursday soon came round and the three of them set off in the hired car with Penny driving. She took it easy, and it was late afternoon when they arrived at the outskirts of the village where Francis and her husband Stephen lived. Penny pulled into a field gateway just before the houses started. Jane got out of the car.
`Now the cottage is called Willowbank. Count your paces from here to the cottage, note it, and the number of paces to the pub forecourt, okay?'
`Got it,' said Jane, and started to walk slowly towards the village. Penny restarted the car and moved, passing Jane as she walked.
`Keep your eyes open for the cottage,' Penny said, and after they'd passed a few.
That's it!' Francis exclaimed, turning to Penny. Did you see it?'
Yes.' She could see the pub further up the road and about halfway from there was a cottage with a lych-gate. See that little thatched gate there?'
`Yes.'
`I want you to walk from the pub to that gate and see how many minutes it takes. Then carry on down to the spot where we dropped Jane and we'll pick you up there.'
`Okay, and here's the pub.' Penny drove on past and a little further on stopped the car and reversed into a gateway and slowly started back. She stopped short of the pub and let Francis out, who then carried on walking down past the pub. Penny watched as Francis glanced at her wristwatch. When the two walking girls met, they didn't stop, but kept on walking. She sat and waited, watching Jane come past the pub and then she was at the car and got into the front seat.
`Got it?'
`Yes.'
Well write it down, here,' and handed her a piece of paper and a pen, also, did you notice a gate with a little thatched roof over it?'
`Yes, why?'
`When I move off from here, I want to know to the exact second when we reach it. Okay, ready?' Jane was looking at her watch, pausing.
`Now!'
Penny let in the clutch and moved off quietly, gathering speed as she passed the pub, reaching sixty five miles an hour as she passed the designated gate.
`Now,' she shouted as they flew past the gate and Francis, quickly slowing down to thirty and then pulling into the field gateway.
`Seven and half, maybe eight seconds,' Jane said.
`Note that down as well, and when Francis gets in, note down what she's timed.'
Francis reached the car and climbed into the back seat and leaned back with a sigh. She related the paces and the time, which Jane noted down.
`What now?' Jane asked.
`That's enough. I thought we would have to stay here till this evening, but I think the plan I've devised will work. So we'll head off back home and I can do another run on my own next week, just to confirm it.'
They talked on the return journey, but Penny asked that they leave her out of the conversation because she wanted to think, and to plan. It was early evening when they arrived and Penny asked if they could stay but a half hour and listen to her. They agreed and went inside where she poured them wine and sat them down at the kitchen table to listen. They listened in rapt silence as Penny went over her plan and when she had finished, they wholeheartedly agreed with it. Penny just wanted the next Thursday night to see if it was feasible, and if so, they would kill Robert Seymour in two weeks time.
Penny checked her E-mail before the last reconnoitre and read that Anne was off to Switzerland on Saturday and would be away for a week. Then she did a dry run that night and was satisfied that the plan would work. E-mails went out to numbers two and three to meet at the usual place on the Thursday by two p.m., wearing dark clothing.
Francis and Jane arrived at the house just five minutes apart, Francis on foot and Jane by car. Francis had a glass of wine but Penny and Jane abstained, as they would to be driving. Laid out on the table was a pencil drawing of the village street showing the pub, the lych-gate, the cottage and the field gate. They went over the plan again and the positions and the timings. When she was satisfied that they all knew their roles, Penny burnt the plan and all of Anne's notes including the photos, which had been studied for the last time.
Jane drove her own car with Francis and Penny in the back, their destination, Euston station. The parking spot was some distance from the station, and using the pay machine, to be valid for the time they needed.
They made their way to the main line station and went into the ladies toilets. They had to wait a few minutes before they could occupy two stalls with one between them. Penny entered one and Jane, the other. Francis waited, using one of the mirrors to apply her make-up, waiting for this stall to be occupied by their victim. The stall was used twice before a young woman that Francis thought might be okay, went in and shut the cubicle door. At this, Francis then tapped once on Penny's and once on Jane's door. This was their signal to quickly glance under the lower edge and into the cubicle between them, to see which side the woman had put down her handbag.
The woman in the middle had put it down on the side by Jane's cubicle. With her just settling herself down on the seat, a hand came wiggling out from under the partition on Penny's side.
`I'm out of paper, can you help please?'
With the hand waving about, the woman did the natural thing, knowing the problem. She pulled several sheets off the roll in her cubicle and leaned forward and put them in the waiting hand.
`Thanks,' was the reply as the hand disappeared, but her handbag disappeared at the same time from the opposite side. The doors of Penny's and Jane's opened quietly and with toilets unflushed, quickly left with Francis. It was three minutes later that the woman realised her bag had gone, and another six minutes before finding a station official to report the theft. The three girls had just reached Jane's car in this period of time. Inside, the bag was passed to Jane who was wearing gloves, opened it and withdrew the woman's wallet.
Shit!' was the exclamation from Jane. No fucking licence!'
Plan B was King's Cross station. The handbag was tossed out on the way, and the wallet separately.
It was exactly the same procedure there, and found a driving licence in the handbag they had filched. So the first stage had been completed. Second stage was that they then drove down to Victoria Bus station, the handbag and wallet, minus cards were disposed of on the way. Here, they parked up and went off for tea as they still had some time to kill. It was nearly seven o'clock before Penny, presented herself at the Avis car rental desk.
She had practised for a little while on the signature of the stolen driving licence. She was smartly dressed, wearing a black wig and plain glasses and asked to hire a large Mercedes with the proviso that it could be left at Heathrow before she flew out. No problems there. She signed the forms with the name on the presented driving licence and paid in cash, which came from the same wallet as the licence.
She flashed her headlights as she passed the parked car of Jane, who then pulled out and followed the black Mercedes out from West London and onto the M4. They were still ahead of time, so stopped in a motorway service station and had coffee, at different tables. With the time approaching, Penny gave a signal, and they got up and returned to their cars. Jane following Penny and all the way to Anne's village. Slowing down as the time ticked on, Penny stopped just passed the field gate allowing Jane to pull in. A few whispered words and then Penny moved off and reached the pub car park and reversed the car so that she was then facing back down the road and yet could still see the pub's entrance. There she waited.
Francis and Jane checked their watches and at a quarter past ten, got out of the car and started walking slowly up the street towards the pub. They stopped at Willowbank cottage and Francis patted Jane on the shoulder for her to move off to the halfway point, that being the cottage with the thatched gate.
The road was dark but she could just see the lights from the pub spilling out into the night. She stopped at this gate dead on ten thirty, then watched and waited for the signal.
Penny waited, watching the pub, her eyes flicking back and forth between the car clock and the door. Then on dot of ten thirty, the door opened, and Anne's husband emerged. They had two signals. One for if he was alone and another for if other people were present.
He was alone. He came down the steps and Penny could see that it was the man from Anne's photographs. As he stepped off the gravel and onto the road, Penny turned off her lights for two seconds and then turned them back on before turning them off again.
Both Francis and Jane saw the signal from Penny that said go, and went into action. Jane lay down on the roadside and Francis crouched down so that she would be able to see the back lit figure of Robert walking down the road. Jane watched him approach, her heart was thumping like crazy inside her chest and she could feel sweat starting to spring out on her forehead as he came closer and closer. Then it was her cue to act.
Help me please,' she wailed. He hurried the last few paces and stopped. Oh thank God. Help me up please, I've hurt my ankle,' and she raised her arm for him to grasp. He helped her up from the road. `Thank you, thank you. I was just coming to see my sister when I slipped. Oh there she is.' Robert turned and saw a torch weaving its way along the roadside. This torch was also the signal for Penny.
As Francis reached Jane and Robert, Penny had slipped the car into first gear and silently glided past the pub picking up speed as it did so. Jane was hanging onto Robert's arm and Francis stopped beside her, her back to the hedge, Robert in front of her. She could see the car coming down, gathering speed every foot of the way until it was just about ten yards away.
`Now!' came from Francis and, with Jane who had straightened up, violently pushed Robert out into the path of the black Mercedes.
At sixty seven miles an hour, the bonnet of the car struck him. Breaking nearly every bone between head and ankles with a heavy crunch as it threw him high into the air, to bounce three times before rolling into the ditch alongside the road, nearly thirty feet away from the point of impact.
The car did not slow or stop, and Penny didn't turn the lights on till she had passed Jane's car parked up at the gate. Then she slowed down and went at a reasonable pace till the lights of Jane's car showed up in her mirror.
When she had seen Robert leave the pub, alone, her pulse rate increased and her heart started to beat very fast in her chest. Then she saw the torch wave and she put her foot down. The car quickly built up speed, passing the pub and going faster and faster till he suddenly loomed up in the dark.
The sudden check of the forward motion of the car as she hit the solid body of the man that disappeared as fast as it had come out of the dark. She had an orgasm at the thrill at the knowledge that she had just killed a man. The heat flowed from her chest and through her stomach and was an intense wave of heat deep in her lower belly, and she felt her fluids seep out between her thighs as she swept past Jane's car.
Jane had a similar thrill as she saw Robert soar through the air to land with a thump further down the road and disappear into the darkness. Hand in hand with Francis, they ran down to where he'd disappeared and stopped when they found him half in and half out of the ditch. Francis bent down and felt around his neck, but couldn't feel a pulse. Jane rolled him the rest of the way into the ditch so that he was face down in the shallow water that had collected there.
Then, very quickly, they walked on down to the car. Without turning on the lights, Jane turned the car round and was soon off after Penny. At the first bend, she turned her lights on and then raced on to catch up with Penny. They caught up and then cruised behind, only dropping back as they approached the M4.
They drove on to Heathrow Airport where Penny parked the car amongst others by the Avis office. She left the keys in the ignition and walked to the end of parking lot and was then picked up by Jane.
`By God we did it,' Penny said breathlessly as she heaved herself into the back seat, and hanging onto the forward head rests, kissed Francis on one cheek and Jane on the other.
It made me jump,' declared Francis, one minute he was there in the road, next, gone.'
`It nearly made me wet myself,' Jane said, concentrating on getting out into the correct lane on the M4.
I did wet myself,' laughed Penny, but it wasn't pee.'
`You didn't?' screamed Jane, also laughing.
`Want to feel?' Penny choked out from her laughing.
`Not while I'm driving,' Jane managed to say, having to avoid a speeding car.
`I need a bloody good drink,' Francis declared.
So do I,' Jane said, my throat's so dry.
`Me as well, but let's get off the motorway first,' Penny said.
`Pubs will be shut by then,' Jane said.
`What time is your last train?' Penny asked Francis.
Well if we can go straight on through,' she said, looking at her watch, I should be in time for the train, but no time for a drink. Let me get the train. We can have that drink another day.'
`So be it. That alright with you Jane?' Penny asked.
`No problem.'
So they carried on the M4 and through to the station for Francis to get her train home. Penny moved into the front passenger seat and gave Francis a kiss on the cheek. `We did well tonight. Keep an eye out for the E-mails, goodnight.'
Francis waved as they drove away and she made her way into the station. Jane and Penny drove in silence, threading through the night time traffic to Knightsbridge, eventually pulling up outside Penny's house.
`Come in for a drink. I think we both need one.'
Jane locked the car, put some money in the meter and followed Penny into the house. They gravitated to the kitchen and both had large gins with only a little tonic in each glass. They soon had a second one, which they then sat down and started to relax.
`Where is your er, William.' Jane asked. Penny looked at her watch.
`Well as it's after twelve, he won't be coming home tonight.'
`After twelve? Shit. I've still got to drive down to Bagshot.'
`Well you don't have to. You can stay here for the night if you want to.'
`It would beat trying to drive, tired as I am after these two drinks. Fine! I'll stay, thanks.'
`Then let's have another drink.' They sat drinking till two a.m. going over the whole thing again to see if they had made any mistakes. Then seeing what the time was, Penny suggested that it was time for bed. They went upstairs, arm in arm.
Do you know I had an orgasm when I hit him,' Penny confided in Jane as they went. Never experienced anything like before.'
`Never?'
`No.'
`I nearly did too when he suddenly disappeared,' said Jane.
Well here's your room,' Penny stopped outside a closed door, still holding Jane's arm in hers. That is...that is...if,' Penny's voice faltered.
`Would you like me to come into your bed?' Jane said softly, looking into Penny's eyes.
`Er, yes, if you would like to,' Penny stammered.
`Maybe I'll get that orgasm I missed earlier,' she whispered as she hugged Penny's arm tighter.
Jane had her orgasm along with Penny, and they lay in each other's arms till morning.
Five lines in the stop press late extra of The Evening Standard on Friday evening. Nothing in Saturday's papers and only short fill in item in one of the Sunday papers. Hit and Run. Local Hertfordshire village man victim of a hit and run accident. Car not traced. The three were on tenterhooks all over the weekend and couldn't do anything about it. It was a case of just sweating it out until they had word from Anne, and she wasn't due back till the Saturday.
The daily papers were scanned, but nothing else was reported.