The Ghost Heist: ( and other stories )

By R M Tomlinson

Six original and enthralling stories, including both chilling tales of murder and revenge and heart-warming stories with a twist: a zany tale of skulduggery at a horse race meeting with a triumphal ghostly burglary, a chilling series of murders by a serial killer, a clever murder gone badly wrong, over zealous guard dogs whose loyalty proves disastrous, an internet romance with a charming twist, and a day out that turns one woman's perception of life inside out.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Jul 22, 2013
• ISBN: 9781922204875

Book preview

Claws

THE GHOST HEIST

ONE

Grandpa Joe knew that what he was about to do was probably the worst thing that he had ever done in his long life.

He sat at the breakfast table in their small neat kitchen and watched through the window as Jenny and Alice walked down the drive of their rented villa in Granger Street. Alice was wearing her blue and white school uniform, Ninja Turtles knapsack on her back, and her big sun hat flopping round her blonde hair and plump six year old face. Her excited voice carried over the morning traffic noise as she pulled at Jenny’s hand.

Will there be a hippopotomus, mummy, and a camel? I like camels as they always look so grumpy and sometimes spit at people. I’d like to see that. She laughed.

Joe saw Jenny look down at Alice, and force a smile for her daughter. Joe could see her tension and unhappiness in the way she held her tall slim body, and the effort she made to relax and be a cool mum for the time it took before Alice’s school bus arrived.

Of course there will sweetheart, and monkeys, and donkeys, and lions…

Their voices faded as they turned onto the footpath and walked towards the bus stop at the end of the tree lined road. Traffic hummed past as the working day started, and Joe lost sight of them around the edge of the neighbour’s fence.

Today was the the end of things he thought, as he sipped a cup of instant coffee. His gnarled fingers pushed at the local paper spread out in front of him at the sporting section. He thought about the envelope that Jenny had left in the sideboard drawer that morning. He felt his heart thump and his hands prickle with cold sweat.

Jenny’s employer, a hardware business, had recently closed down when the owner retired. As Jenny had worked there as an accountant for five years since her husband Allan had died after a traffic accident, the business owner had paid out all of her outstanding entitlements and a small severance payment in cash, before she left.

The envelope containing the $700 cash serverence payment now lay on the table in front of him. This represented their total cash assets, as her husband’s death had left Jenny with her daughter Alice, her elderly Grandfather, and a pile of debts.

Next to the envelope was a crumpled sheaf of assorted letters and email copies.

The top letter read:

Dear Mrs Mallotte,

Thank you for your enquiry re an accountant’s position. We regret that there are no vacancies at this time…." Blah, Blah Blah like all the other twenty seven.

The economy was in trouble everywhere, and jobs were very few and far between. Accountants were not high on an employer’s list of new staff to employ as they struggled to cut costs.

Lined up alongside the envelope of money and the pile of rejection letters, was a one page letter with a gaudy three colour banner from:

Abbott’s Real Estate.

(First in the listings, and first in service to you.)

Joe re-read the letter.

Dear Mrs Mallotte,

As you are aware, the owners of your rental Villa at 3a Granger Street, have decided to sell as soon as possible. (The for sale price of the Unit is $175,000 if you are in a position to purchase.)

I regret to inform you therefore, that your monthly rental contract is hereby terminated, and you are required to vacate the property within 30 days of receipt of this letter.

I also have to advise you that some matters that were raised with you at your last monthly maintenence inspection will probably require fixing before you vacate. The cost of this work will be deducted from the bond that you paid us when you commenced the rental five years ago. We will forward any residue to you when the work is completed.

Yours faithfully

M Stallard

RentalManager.

Triple hit, thought Joe. No money, no job prospects, and nowhere to live. Poor Jenny!

He scratched his grey stubbly chin, and slowly made himself another cup of coffee. Jenny would be out all day chasing up the employment agencies, and Alice was having a day at the Zoo with the school. A rare quiet day with the house empty.

He sat down at the table again, and picked up the local paper which was still open at the racing pages. He eyed the racing guide for the big local annual racing carnival, with the big money races starting at 11.00 that morning. He flattened the page, and stared down at the seven listed races.

There were over 100 horses running in the carnival, and he had ringed three of them with a red felt marker pen. Number 6, Risk Taker in the second race at 6/1, number 2 Granger Boy in the sixth race at 12/1, and number 11, Alice Be Good at 2/1 in the seventh race. All the names had meaning for him. He could be a Risk Taker, they could buy 3a Granger Street