AVENGE

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT - HENRY MORTON

38.

HENRY MORTON

Henry looked at the house that Rose Freer lived in as he drove past in his wife's Volvo. He parked around the corner and took a deep breath – closing his eyes. Once he had calmed himself he took the new medical injector gun from his pocket and turned it over in his hand. He checked it was loaded with the Hypnochip then put it back in his pocket. After tonight, he'd know if it worked as advertised. Rose had given him the opportunity to test it. The bonus – she was on his list.

Henry looked around. There wasn't any pedestrians but it wouldn't start getting dark for at least another half-an-hour. He couldn't leave it any longer. He was already five minutes late and by the time he'd took a slow walk up Rose's street that would be ten. It was inbuilt into Henry not to keep people waiting. He prided himself on being punctual.

He got out of his car and walked purposefully slowly. He drew level with the house on the opposite side of the street and looked at the surrounding buildings. The only person he could see was a further five-hundred yards down the street walking a dog. He couldn't see anything other than a shape so it was safe to assume that it would be the same for them.

Henry crossed over and knocked on the door. A distorted shadow moved into the hallway as Henry looked through the frosted glass section of the front door. He smiled as he heard a man's voice from the other side say, "He's here, Rosie. See. I told you so."

The door opened and Tom Anderson stood before him.

"Tom – wasn't it?" Henry held out his hand.

Tom shook it. "I'm glad you turned up." He leaned closer. "She was fretting. Didn't think you were coming."

"Once I commit to something, Tom – I don't back down."

"Oh. Yes. Quite." He stood to the side. "Do come in."

"Thank you." Henry stepped into the hallway.

"First door on the left," said Tom from behind him.

Henry knocked before entering. "Hello, Rose. It's so nice of you to have me."

"Hello, Mr Morton. Thank you for coming. Have you a coat, dear?"

Henry was wearing some navy-blue trousers and a blue and white striped shirt with the collar turned down. "No, Rose. It's still warm outside."

"Please sit." Rose indicated the chair that Elsie normally sat in during her visits throughout the day. "Tom, dear. Could you fetch the tea?"

"Oh yes, dear. Won't be a minute," said Tom from the doorway.

"What a lovely room, Rose. I take it you have a lot of memories in here," said Henry.

"Oh yes, Mr Morton. There are pictures of Ben and me in various places."

Henry noticed that the pictures were not of the man in the kitchen. "What happened to your husband, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Ben died of cancer, dear."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"He had a good innings, dear. We had a lovely life together. I have no regrets except for those last years."

"Is Tom making you happy?"

Rose smiled. "We've not been together for long. But, yes. He's a good man."

The lounge door opened again and Tom entered, wheeling in the trolley with tea, biscuits and three of Rose's favourite cups rattling on it. He wheeled it around to its usual space between Rose's and Henry's seats.