Deceit. [COMPLETED.]

Chapter 52

"The threat."
[RICHARD O'DONNEL ]
   Six months go.

It was getting late. Later than he had wanted it to be. The sky was already dark and the air a lot colder indicating that the forecast of rain was perhaps closer than he had thought.

Luckily home was just a few feet away. Home meant a nice hot cup of coffee. Home meant a lovely warm meal probably sat by an open fire.

He looked up at the low cloud. It could even snow, he mused. He hoped so. A sprinkling at least. It was cold enough. They hadn't had snow in these parts now for nearly four years and with spring just around the corner Richard wouldn't get too many more chances of seeing the white stuff falling out of the sky.

But, he reflected philosophically, snow or rain, it didn't really matter. He was more than happy with where they lived and he was more than happy for it to be cold tonight for no other reason than it meant his fire would be lit and there was nothing better in his opinion than sitting so close to a roaring flame that seemed to warm your very soul.

'Mr O'Donnel?'

Richard spun round at the sound of his name.

'Yes.'

He had been out on an errand. His wife had needed a new hair drier of all things. He could have waited until her birthday in a couple of weeks time but he had been in a good mood and as it was on his mind he had made a quick detour to surprise her with his new gift.

His mind being preoccupied he had failed to notice the two men approach from behind the parked car on the opposite side of the street. Richard stopped short and turned.

The first man seemed well dressed. He was young too and very striking in his looks dressed as he was in a long woollen overcoat with short black hair that he had swept all the way back from his forehead. He seemed tall in comparison to his friend who was more stocky in build and had a rounded face.

Neither of them seemed local. That fact alone made the encounter this evening all the more strange. In fact Richard would have their origin as more likely to being from the Far East but, as his father said, looks can often be deceiving.

Richard waited patiently for something else to be said noticing at the same time that the stocky man had not taken his eyes of him since Richard had turned round.

The taller of the two men, in contrast, seemed to be more interested in what Richard was carrying.

'Anything interesting?' he asked calmly.

Richard pursed his lips and shrugged.

'A gift for the wife. A hair drier. Nothing special.'

The man smiled.

'Yes,' he said bringing his eyes slowly upwards. 'We men all need to keep our wives happy, don't we? Our children too, wouldn't you agree?'

Light rain had started to fall. Tiny specks of water had started to drift aimlessly down. You could just see them fall inside the cordon of light emitted from each street lamp. It felt colder too. An involuntary shiver suddenly erupted down Richard's spine.

'You have a daughter at Edinburgh University I believe,' said the tall man suddenly. 'Studying drama I think she said.'

Richard's froze at the mention of his daughter.

'A lovely girl,' continued the man. 'Doing well so she tells me. You must be proud. And your son I believe is in the army. The royal engineers I understand.'

Richard's palms grew warm and clammy despite the cold that was now beginning to seep through and into his bones. He looked for weapons but saw none. He chose to go on the offensive.