Z. The Unfaithful Dead - Part 4 of 4

I drove non stop back to London and arrived at the Van-Heer offices
in Brentford at ten o-clock where I couldn't park because I didn't have
my parking pass on me. I drove around the block and left my car on a
double yellow line and ran back to the office where I couldn't get in
the door because I didn't have my entry card on me. I pressed the
buzzer but nothing happened, I pulled out my mobile phone but it still
didn't have a battery in it, so I leant on the buzzer.

The night watchmen turned up after two minutes and opened the door, I
knew it was a lost cause from the moment he smelled me.

'Waddayawant mate.'

'Hi' I said, 'I work here and I need to get in.'

'Is that so.'

'Are you going to let me in?'

'Not unless you've got a pass card.'

I smiled. 'I left it at home.'

'Then you can't come in.' He went to close the door.

'Wait.' I said and stuck my foot in the door. 'Have Alexander Hodder or
Eowen Lombard come in this evening?'

'Who?'

'Alexander Hodder or Eowen Lombard, they work here.'

'Don't know 'em mate.'

'Well has anyone come in this evening?'

'Who are you?'

'My name's Michael Prince'

'Never heard of you mate.'

'I work for William Gassner.'

'Never heard of him mate.'

'He owns the bloody company.'

'Not my company mate, I work for an agency.'

'Well is there at least someone you can ring? It's very important I get
in.'

'I suppose so. What was your name.'

'Michael Prince.'

'Wait here.' He said and pushed my foot from the door and closed it. I
watched him walk back to the reception desk, sit behind it and make a
phone call. As I waited Alex and Eowen drove into the car park, I
ducked behind a hedge and hoped they didn't see me. The watchman opened
the door to find me still hiding, it didn't seem to bother him in the
least. 'Apparently you've been fired mate,' he said, 'so bugger off.'
And he closed the door and left me standing there open mouthed. I
retreated across the street and watched Alex and Eowen walk in the
door.

'Fuck it.' I said to myself and walked back to my car, it was parked
next to a payphone. I tossed a coin and because it landed on its head I
used it to call William Gassner at home.

*****

I strolled calmly back up to the office door, folded my arms and stood
and grinned at the security guard through the glass, he shouted
something at me from behind his desk that I didn't hear and guessed I
didn't want to. In exactly twenty seconds his phone rang, he answered
it, looked at me, put it down, walked over, opened the door and let me
in. 'Apparently your not fired.' He said. 'But I might be.'

'I wouldn't worry about it.' I said. 'I'll put in a good word if you
tell me who you called earlier.'

'I dunno mate, it's just a number I'm supposed to call.'

'Is it written down?'

'Yeah.'

'On a piece of paper?'

'Yeah.'

'And is there a name next to it?'

'Yeah.'

'So what's the name?'

'Oh.' He said, and walked back to his desk. 'James Gassner.'

If the son was coming I needed to move fast, or best of all delay him.
'You'd better come with me.' I told the security guard.

'I'm not supposed to leave the door.'

'Lock it then.'

He flicked a switch behind the desk and followed me upstairs.

At first I thought they weren't there because the light was off but
then I saw shadows moving underneath the door, only the most amateur
thief makes himself look suspicious, a pro would have turned the light
on. The security guard, like all good security guards, had a maglite, I
borrowed it from him and told him to wait outside the room. Then I
walked in the door and damn near blinded the pair of them.

'Found it yet?' I asked, still pointing the torch at them.

They swore in unison when they realised it was me. 'No.' Said Eowen,
'it's not on the server or any of the backup tapes.'

'I called the old man,' I said. 'I can cut you a deal but he doesn't
know the formula's gone missing. Without it you've got no hand to
play.'

They looked at each other holding a pair of hands up against the glare
of the torch. Neither of them wanted to give up the dreams Arkin had
given them, I wondered just how much he had promised.

'The hard copy.' Said Alex. 'Tsukimura always kept a hard copy of
everything in the safe in his office.'

'Of course.' Eowen squeaked in excitement.

I followed them into Tsukimura's office, Alex dialled the combination
into the safe.

'It's like robbing his grave.' Said Eowen and was followed by an
awkward hush. Alex pulled an envelope out of the safe and placed it on
the table, it was addressed to him and Eowen.

'Well.' I said. 'Open it.'

Alex opened it, read the letter in silence whilst I held the torch,
then he passed it to Eowen and she read it and then passed it to
me.

*****

My dear Alexander and Eowen.

In January this year I was diagnosed with cancer, it is a death
sentence. I watched my father suffer through the same disease and have
no desire to go through the same as he, it has since been my intention
to end my own life once the project is accomplished. I have no living
family and my work has been everything to me in these last few years,
with it complete there seems little point in going on.

It has come to my attention that the Van-Heer company does not intend
to manufacture and sell that which we have worked so hard to produce,
rather they would use it as a tool to blackmail others. I will not rest
easily if I let this happen so in order to prevent it I have mailed
copies of our work and a covering letter to every major newspaper and
technical journal in the country, and to ensure Van-Heer requires their
cooperation I have deleted critical elements of the work from the
server. My only regret in doing this is that it might reflect badly on
yourselves, I have written a letter to William Gassner explaining my
actions but he will not receive it for a week, I hope you all will
understand my actions.

My most heartfelt gratitude for all your hard work over the
years.

Your friend,

Hayao Tsukimura

*****

'It wasn't an accident then,' said Eowen, 'he took his own life.'

'How did he die?' I asked.

'His car ran off the road.' Said Alex. 'Hit a bridge.'

I nodded, it must have taken some nerve to do, you have to respect that
sort of resolve, however misguided you consider it.

'I suppose this means we're screwed then.' Said Alex, half to
himself.

'Not necessarily,' I said, 'let me see what I can do.' I turned on the
light, sat down at Tsukimura's desk and rang Gassner.

'Hello sir. It's Michael again.'

'Hello Michael.'

'It appears you had me chasing the wrong thief sir. Dr Tsukimura took
the formula, all Alex and Eowen ever had was an empty CD.'

'Tsukimura took the formula?'

'He sent it to the newspapers. He wanted to ensure you actually
produced the damn thing.'

'The newspapers eh?'

'I'm sure they'll send it back if you ask nicely.'

'I'm sure they will.'

'What do I tell Alex and Eowen?' I said.

'Your getting at something Michael, what is it?'

'Well however bas their intentions sir there has been no actual theft.
Which means nothing to justify your son of breaking into their homes
which could be very awkward sir, especially if he left his
fingerprints, he could go to jail.'

'That would be awkward.' He agreed.

'But it might be avoidable, if you don't press charges against them I'm
sure they could be persuaded to forget the matter.'

'Do you?'

'I've talked to them.'

'Okay,' he said, 'but they resign first thing Monday morning and I
don't want to see them in my company ever again.'

'I'll escort them out myself sir.'

'Goodnight Michael.'

'Goodnight sir.'

As I put the phone down I heard the door buzzer go. I ran out to
intercept the security guard.

'Leave it.' I told him.

'I have to answer the door mate, it's me job.'

There was nothing I could do so I went and got Alex and Eowen and
walked them over the building to my office, as we went I told then what
the old man had said.

*****

I walked back by myself swinging the maglite in my hand and wondering
just how much I wanted to keep my own job. The old man hadn't mentioned
anything about my previous tussle with the son but I knew it was
coming, if I did it again my position would become untenable, the son
on his own could make it so. But I had to get rid of him and get Alex
and Eowen out safely, if he found them in the building he'd bring my
nicely wrapped up case crashing down around my ears, all he had to do
was phone the police and stick them in jail and the whole thing kicked
off again. I had to persuade him to leave, preferably without resorting
to violence.

'What the fuck are you doing here?' He shouted the moment I walked back
into the lab, I had assumed it was empty again because the lights
weren't on again.

'Working late.' I said. He had muscle with him this time, two ugly
looking bastards they were as well. I held the maglite behind my back
and kept my distance for the moment.

'How did you get in?' He said.

'You mean the mix up with the doorman, apparently his boss phoned him
and straightened it out.'

'I fired you.'

'I aint yours to fire.'

It made him angry, he gritted his teeth and went red in the face like a
child denied candy.

'I am just trying to protect this company, if my father?' He tailed
off. 'Tell me why you're here.'

The two goons moved forwards, I stayed where I was. One of them pulled
a flick knife from his pocket and my mouth went dry. The son leant back
on the edge of a desk and smiled. 'Well?' He said. 'Why are you here so
late.'

'I thought I left my mobile phone battery here.' I said. 'It's useless
without the battery.'

He said 'Get him.'

The one with the knife moved first, they were still a few feet away
which was the only reason I had time to react, I flicked on the maglite
and dazzled them both, then I thrust it hard into the nose of the thug
with the knife and jumped back as he swung at me, he missed me by
millimetres. The other one kicked me in the shoulder, it didn't really
connect but still hurt like hell. He danced back like a kickboxer, I
moved forwards denying him the space to kick, the other one was too
concerned with his broken nose for the moment, the kickboxer danced
back into a desk, I moved forwards and pushed him backwards over it
knocking a computer crashing to the ground and dropped my elbow down
onto his gut twice but it didn't have a great deal of effect. I stepped
back and allowing him to stand up and swung the maglite underarm into
his crotch, that did the trick. I went back to the one with the knife,
he swung at me but his heart wasn't really in it anymore, he was too
busy holding his nose on to his face, I let him swing again and knocked
the knife from his hand with the maglite, I picked it up. He was lost
without it, he just backed away and hid behind his boss.

I retracted the knife blade and dropped it in my pocket and it dawned
on me exactly what to do. 'All of that was caught on tape.' I said to
the son, 'everything that happens in this building is recorded, with
sound. So if you don't piss off right now I'm going to call the police
and press charges of assault.'

Without a word the three of them left.

*****

I went back and collected Alex and Eowen and led them directly out of
the building. They looked back after the door shut and waved, I waved
back at them with the maglite. I think I saw Eowen wipe a tear away but
that might just be me. The world was all before them now, without a
scar on their character, their own way to choose. They, hand in hand,
with wandering steps and slow, walked back to their car.

I gave the maglite back to the security guard and thanked him for the
loan of it. He examined it closely. 'Ere,' he said, 'the glass is
cracked.'

I went home and made myself a sandwich, there was a bottle of beer in
the fridge so I drank it. The following day was Saturday, in the
morning I bought a new battery for my mobile phone, it was half the
size of the damn thing. The moment I turned it on I got a call from my
friend in Scotland yard telling me Alex Hodder had been picked up that
morning trying to use his own stolen credit card. Apparently he had
been buying an engagement ring.