The Grey Man

CHAPTER SEVEN

The rain had stopped overnight so at least Saturday shoppers didn't get wet as they went about the city centre. Kevin bit into a bacon sandwich, fresh from Bobby's Snacks on the market, and wiped a blob of tomato ketchup off his chin. Those shelves had looked dead easy to put up but it had taken him a couple of hours to get them level. Now, with Linda out of the way, he had a chance to buy her an anniversary present. He ate the rest of his sandwich and headed for the only jeweller he knew, Hearts on the high street. It was where he had bought Linda's wedding ring.

He had a quick look in the window but nothing grabbed him, apart from his reflection. Was the hair gel he had slipped into the shopping trolley last night making him look cool or not? Today his hair had a seriously spiky thing going on.

He went inside the shop, unsure of himself, and tried to avoid eye-contact with the two women behind the counter. He pretended to be interested in a display of men's watches with giant faces. Nothing for Linda there. He moved to a glass cabinet and couldn't believe his eyes. There, centre stage, was a beautiful pearl necklace. With a sapphire and diamond clasp.

'The Augusta,' a voice said, so close to his ear that he jumped. 'Wonderful, isn't it?' The sales woman had come round to the front of the counter.

'It's lovely.' Kevin pointed at it. 'Are they real?'

'The pearls are cultured ones, which makes them cheaper. The jewels are glass, but good quality, as you can see. The actress Jessica Drake got her mitts on the real thing. Did you know she's in Ipswich for a play?'

'I saw her on the news last night.'

'Well, after everyone saw her wearing it for the first time, these necklaces became all the rage. It was a few years ago now, but the design is timeless.'

It was stunning. Not that Kevin was a jewel expert, but he knew Linda would love it. He squinted at the tiny price tag. Five hundred and seventy pounds. He'd only saved two hundred and fifty. His hand shook a little as he reached for his wallet. He knew it was a dumb thing to do, but he'd put the rest on his card. It was just too good to miss. He imagined Linda beaming as she opened it.

Common sense flew out of the window. 'I'll take it,' he whispered.

Kevin's next stop was Marco's. 'Hi, Mark. I just want to confirm you've still got my table for next Saturday at—'

Mark smiled and held up his hand. He didn't need to double-check his book. He had made the booking for Kevin last week when he had popped in, just as he had last year and all the years before that. Lovely couple. 'Anniversary time again, is it, Mr Dodds?'

'Yes.'

'You have a new hairstyle, I see.' Kevin waited to hear what Mark thought of it.

'We'll look forward to seeing you both on Saturday, Mr Dodds.'

'Me too.' Kevin turned to the door, then stopped. 'Maybe you could help me do something a little special this time, Mark…'

Almost home. Just one last stop — Blockbuster — and then he was done for the day. Like some people can lose track of time reading, gardening or playing football, Kevin could spend all day in Blockbuster. Films were his passion. He liked to scan the shelves for hidden treasure. Something he might not have seen before, maybe an old black-and-white, an Italian thriller, or a cops-and-robbers B movie.

Linda always went to bingo on a Saturday night to keep her mum company, and Kevin stayed in to watch DVDs. Apart from next week, of course, when Linda was going to bingo on Friday.

Kevin looked along the shelves for old favourites, like they were long-lost friends. His finger hovered over Blackhawk Down. He must have seen it twenty times, but it was worth watching another twenty. He had learned quite a lot about life from watching films. The way he dealt with Symington came from an old black-and-white prison film. The prisoner had just smiled and taken whatever the guard threw at him so that the older men got beaten less often.

He limited himself to one DVD a week, and choosing just one was part of the fun. You had to think about what mood you were in, what would satisfy you most on that particular night. Narrowing the choice gave the game an edge. Usually he plumped for an action film and today was no exception. His finger traced along the shelves. Maybe Pulp Fiction. Maybe The Bourne Identity. Or maybe Training Day. Or what about Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid? Just the movie for when you were in the mood for a western, except he wasn't. No, let's save that. Hang on. Here was an old favourite. The Score, a bank-robbery film starring Robert de Niro.

As he unlocked the front door, Linda came out of the kitchen. Her hair was freshly washed after her gym class and she looked good in jeans and a black polo-neck.

'What's with the hair?'

'Er, I gelled it.'

'I can see that.'

'Like it?'

'Yeah, it's… well… it's fine.' They burst out laughing. 'Nah.' They shook their heads and laughed even more.

Kevin leaped up the stairs. 'I'll go and wash it.'

He laughed all the way to the bedroom, then pulled out a long black box from under his jacket. Before he hid it behind the wardrobe, he couldn't resist taking a peep.

The Augusta pearls gleamed up at him against the blue velvet lining. He snapped the box shut in case he gave it to her there and then. He buried the thought of next month's credit-card bill.

'Be down in a minute!' he called.