Gideon's Chair

Chapter 37

In every film I had ever seen , plans were executed to the exact minute .Not us , we have painstakingly gone through thousands of notes to get to this point but now when it came to the important bit we  just decided it would be  later that evening . I guess we were going to look at each other and say are you ready .

I walked over to the window and looked over the valley . I knew we were being watched and I knew they would kill to get what they wanted . They had even been in my house .

We watched two news reports of the murder . Each making it sound more gruesome and reporters speculated onto who had done it . So called criminologists were interviewed at the scene and they gave their opinions . How wrong they were .

By nine pm local news were reporting that the Police appeared to have withdrawn from the fact it was a professional hit . Now saying 'he' had got gambling debts and had previously had threats made against him by 'shady' figures demanding money . Sky were reporting he had fled Las Vegas casino bosses , running away to England and hiding in the countryside .

" If they can invent this John , they don't think much about life do they " Suzannah said shaking her head.

I nodded " They just invent everything to control their own political views , everyone is in their pocket . They think they are god , the judge , jury and executioner "

" So did Joshua Tutbury " Suzannah added " And we are going hunting for his treasure "

I laughed " Yep"

We watched a little more television between glancing at the clock every five minutes and staring outside watching the night draw in .

" You ready " I asked

" Yes"

I looked like a typical burglar , but how was I meant to dress . Black jeans , gloves and a black sweatshirt .

I threw the holdall onto the back seat and we headed into the night .

In a separate rucksack I had a mallet and a chisel wrapped in a towel and a small trowel which had most recently been used for planting geraniums .

We parked up by the railway station , it was just before eleven pm.

" Good luck John " Suzannah said squeezing my hand against the hand brake .

I took a deep breath and stepped into the night ." See you soon " I said quietly closing the car door .

I walked across the old bridge and into the main part of the town . The town was still busy as I crossed near the roundabout . A group were just going through the door of the Raj Restaurant . I had got a take away from there on our first night in the village , We ate it sat on boxes saying this is paradise .

A Police forensics van sped across the roundabout , presumably in the direction of the murder . I walked onto Courthouse Street .

The Butchers came up immediately . I glanced and turned the passageway and quickly walked down the old cobbled covered walkway . I paused at the end and then froze , a shiver ran threw me as a cat jumped from wall to wall .

I looked left and right . Not a sound . This must have been used a million times as a lovers lane . It was pitch black and totally secluded .

I didn't have a torch 'Fuck" . I started to feel my way along the wall , shuffling my feet.

I got to the back door of the library and paused fumbling for the keys in my jeans pocket . At the same time I got the note out of my pocket that Suzannah had written with the alarm code on . I strained to read

*JT5611LB#

My hands were shaking as I fumbled with the key in the lock. The latch turned and I pushed the door open . I stepped in closing the door behind me . The alarm bleeps immediately started .

Behind the coat hooks I said to myself , remembering Suzannahs instructions . The bleeps increased in temp  ..Fuck...I found the alarm box . The LCD numbers glowed as I pressed in the code . The final # and I held my breath stepping back as if it was a bomb I had defused.

The bleeps stopped....I was in.

Taking the rucksack off my shoulders I carried it by the handles and walked slowly in . My eyes slowly became accustomed to the light. Much easier borrowing a book I thought as I turned in the direction of the chest .I tip toed stooping very low and hurried to it .. Suddenly its shape appeared in front of me . Here goes I thought dropping onto my knees and pushing the chest to the left .

It moved easily without a sound . A small shaft of moonlight was lighting the the area from from a sky light .I swung the bag around in front of me and emptied out the three tools . Feeling the edge of the stone , I positioned the  chisel in the mortar and slowly hit it with the mallet . A touch of cement dust puffed over the stone. I hit more as quickly as I could. Starting to chip away down one edge.

Gradually I chiselled deeper . Then repositioning myself I chipped along the far edge of the stone. A bead of sweat ran from my forehead down my cheek. The stone appeared to be about one inch thick and had that uneven worn finish that you would see on steps at a stately home . The type that had been worn down by hundred of passing feet .

I paused to catch my breath and reflected for a second on what I was doing . A flock of birds scattered close obviously startled by something they screamed into the night for a second blocking the light from the sky light.

A car passed outside and I focussed again on what I was doing .

Slowly I chipped away more each time trying to lever the stone up a little . Then concentrating on the third edge I hit harder and harder panic  started to flow through me as the chisel at times just bounced off the stone.

I paused , breathe John ...stay calm stay calm.

I chiselled slowly more .

A bus drove past the Courthouse and a young woman shouted , I have no idea what but she shouted .

I tried to control the amount of sand and cement by pushing it into the middle of the stone

Kneeling and then half crouching I attempted to hit and lever under the flag.

With a sigh I glanced at my watch I had been inside for an hour and twenty minutes . Suzannah would be worried .This wasn't the plan , if we indeed had one.

Then the stone began to move , slowly it started to move in its bed.. I levered slowly under it . Then at last the chisel went under the stone. I nearly cheered .

I tried to lift it up but it wouldn't move. Grabbing a book from the nearest shelf I placed it under the chisel and levered more.. It started to move further. Taking a second book I placed it under the first . The leverage was greater .

" Come on fucking move " I said under my breath

The stone shifted on it's base

Squatting over it I gripped at the edges and heaved . It wouldn't budge . Gripping further under And with a " Move you bastard" I it lifted a little. My fingers were in agony against the weight .

Then suddenly it was vertical . I fell backwards as the stone toppled over and fell towards me and out of its bed.

I clambered to my feet dragging the stone away from the gap.

On my knees my hands fell into the sand like a diggers shovel and I clawed at it frantically .

I froze as the light from  the sky light dimmed again .

I didn't even breathe and stayed absolutely motionless . This time no birds flew away and no cat screeched