A Disappearance and The Man in the Dirty Raincoat! (I.P.)

A Disappearance and The Man in the Dirty Raincoat!

‘Look, Natalie, he’s here again!’

‘Who is?’

‘The man in the dirty raincoat.’

‘Oh, Rachel, give it a rest, he looks harmless enough.’

‘Well, I don’t like the look of him…always hanging around the playground.  It’s not natural.  Why doesn’t he just go for a walk in the park instead of standing in the shadows watching the children…?’

‘He might be keeping an eye on his own child.’

‘I’ve never seen him bring a child with him.’

‘What does that prove?’

‘It proves he needs watching,’ said Rachel, scowling at the man.

‘Oh, forget him.  He’s not doing any harm.’

‘Only because he won’t get the chance, I’ll see to that.’

‘Oh, now you’re being plain ridiculous and what could you do even if he was up to no good?’

‘You’d soon see.  He’s been here every day this week and some days last week.  I tell you I’m going to keep my eye on him.’

‘You do that.  Anyway, I’m off home now as it’s beginning to get dark.

 “Lauren, come on love we’re going home now.  Your Dad will be home soon.”’

‘Just one more go, please Mum!’

‘No, now come on.  It’s getting dark and you’ve been here over an hour already.’

‘Oh, all right!’ said Lauren, looking sulky but walking reluctantly towards her mother.

‘See you tomorrow then,’ said Rachel, taking her eyes off the man in the shadows as she watched her friend walk towards the main gate.

‘Oh no.  I think Lauren’s got a dentist appointment tomorrow,’

‘In that case I might not bother to bring Gemma, especially with that bloke hanging about.’

‘Oh, you’re getting paranoid over that poor man.’

‘No, I’m not; one can’t be too careful these days.  You hear such terrible stories.’

‘Well, he doesn’t bother me.  Anyway, if we don’t see each other tomorrow then I’ll see you Monday.  Okay!’

‘Yeah, okay.’

With that Natalie taking hold of her daughter’s hand turned on her heel and started towards the bus stop which was just outside the main gates to the park.

Rachel turned her attention back to her daughter, Gemma, who, all of a sudden, was shouting and screaming.

Fear dealt Rachel a hammer-like blow when she saw the man in the dirty raincoat pushing the swing while her daughter was laughing and shouting for him to push her higher.

‘Get away from her you dirty pervert!’ She shouted, running.

On reaching the swing she gave the man an almighty push and he fell to the ground but as he sat up looking bewildered the swing came back and hit him full in the face.  Rachel kicked him several times as hard as she could before saying,

‘Now, perhaps, you’ll stay away from children’s playgrounds, you pervert!’ and with that she grabbed her daughter off the swing and walked quickly away in the opposite direction to that of her friend Natalie.

The man got slowly to his feet, blood gushing from the top of his head and he was clutching his stomach where Rachel had kicked him.  He walked in a daze until he seemed to get his bearings and then more quickly as if he was trying to get home before too many people saw him.

The following Monday the two friends were once again watching their children playing on the swings but there was no sign of the man in the dirty raincoat.  At least, not that day but on the Tuesday there he was  again but now he was sporting a nasty looking cut on his head and a bruise under his eye.

‘See, I told you he needed watching.  Look he’s back.  Now will you listen to me?’

‘No, I still don’t see what harm he’s doing.  Poor man looks as if he’s been in an accident.’

‘That was me.’

‘You?’

‘Yes, me.’

‘Why?’

‘Because when I was saying cheerio to you last week, I turned round to get Gemma but the dirty pervert was pushing her on the swing.’

‘And?’

‘What do you mean “And”?’

‘He was pushing Gemma on the swing…what was so terrible about that?  Didn’t she like it?’

‘She was laughing her head off.’

‘Well then, I don’t see the problem.’

‘What!  A strange man starts pushing your daughter on the swing and you don’t find that worrying?’

‘Not particularly.  Not if I’m there too.’

‘Well, I wasn’t having a bar of it so I ran over and pushed him and he fell down and then the swing hit him full in the face and then I gave him a good kicking.’

‘Oh, the poor man!’

‘What!  How can you have sympathy for him?’

‘Because I think you were a bit excessive, kicking him when all he was doing was pushing a swing.’

‘Well, my Darren said if he goes near our Gemma again him and Shane, his mate, will sort the pervert out good and proper.’

‘Shane?  You don't mean Shane Dread?’

’Do you know him?’

‘I’ll say I do.  He’s been in no end of trouble with the law has that one.  I didn’t know he was a mate of your Darren’s! I wouldn’t let a son of mine mix with the likes of Shane Dread!  He needs no excuse to beat someone up.’

‘He’s always very polite when he comes round to ours.’

‘Yeah, that sounds about right then when you’re not looking he’d have your purse away quick as lightning.  You know he’s already been up on a charge of GBH?’

‘Nah, You're mistaken.  He’s Darren’s best mate.’

‘Anyway, I’d better be getting back the nights are really drawing in now and I want to get home while it’s still light.  Will I see you tomorrow?’

‘Yeah, you know Gemma, she won’t let me pass the park without wanting to have a go on the swings.’

‘Okay then, see you tomorrow.’ 

'Yeah, oh and Natalie you haven’t forgotten you said you would lend me a couple of quid till Darren gets paid?’

‘No, I haven’t forgotten.  How much do you need?’

‘Fifty…could you manage fifty?’

‘Blimey, you never said you wanted as much as that.’

‘No I didn’t need that much but I’ve mislaid my purse.  Can you do it?’

‘Yeah, just about but I will need it back pretty quick as I’ve got bills to pay.’

‘Yeah, see you tomorrow and will you bring it with you?’

Natalie nodded and went to collect Lauren from the swings.  The man was stood to one side and looked at her as though he was expecting her to hit him too.  Instead she just smiled and collected her daughter and made towards the park gates.  The man followed her with his gaze and then he went and sat down on the empty swing next to Trina. 

‘Get away from her!’ shouted Rachel as she turned back.  ‘You’ve been warned.’

The man just looked scared but as his raincoat gaped Rachel could see the man had no trousers on.  Underneath the dirty raincoat he was wearing just his vest and a baggy pair of underpants.

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The following day a couple of early morning walkers out with their dogs found the dirty raincoat lying on the ground  The man’s body lay beneath.

The Police arrived and cordoned off the area.  A Scenes of Crime Officer arrived at the same time as Natalie got off the bus and was about to walk Lauren to school but, seeing the crowd and being a bit on the early side, she entered the park out of mild curiosity and strolled towards the group of people but was horrified to see the now blood-stained dirty raincoat lying on the ground.  She quickly took her daughter away from the scene and went straight to a policeman who was standing some way off from the cordoned area.

‘What’s happened…where is the man?

‘What man?’ said the Policeman.

‘The man whose raincoat that is.’

‘Do you know him?’

‘No, I don’t know him but I have seen him here a number of times recently.’ 

‘Just wait here, if you please, Madam.’

The Policeman immediately went and spoke to his superior Officer who then came over to speak with Natalie.

‘That raincoat is covering the body of a man who answers the description of someone we’ve been looking for and we’ve got a lady on her way who may be able to make a positive identification but I would like you to remain here until she arrives.  With any luck she will make a positive ID.’

Some ten minutes passed before a car pulled up and a woman dressed in a uniform got out and came towards the group.  She was immediately allowed into the area and a policeman pulled back the sheet to reveal the blood stained body.  She recoiled slightly at the sight but then said,

‘Yes, it’s him.  It’s definitely Anthony Wood-Simpson, poor man, to look at him now who would believe he once worked for the BBC.  In fact, he used to be a top BBC News reporter.  

‘Well, as you can see he’s really taken a beating so are you absolutely sure this is the man that’s been missing from the home.’

‘Yes.  There’s no mistake.  For someone so confused he was very adept at getting away from any nurse that was assigned to him.  Most times he somehow managed to find his way back but I’ve never known him come this way before although I should have guessed.’

‘This lady says he’d been coming here for a couple of weeks on and off and seemed to like to watch the children.  Why would he suddenly start coming here, I wonder? Had he any association with this place?’

‘Yes, I’m afraid he had.  His little sister disappeared from this park when he was a boy. She was never found and he never forgot...strange, when you think about it.’

‘Strange…In what way?’

‘Well, the tragedy is the poor man was a resident in the home because he was suffering from Early Onset Alzheimer’s which cruelly robbed him of every memory except the very one that it would have been a kindness for him to forget!’

End