The Quick Brown Fox Read online

  It was clear that he suspected her infidelity but there was no way he could prove it unless he followed her on Wednesday evenings, or hired a private detective to do so, but his interest in her had waned and he never bothered. Their relationship had become very remote and if she wanted sex with someone else it hardly mattered as long as it didn’t affect him. In any case, sex between them was a very austere and minimal affair and it happened very rarely. When they were in bed together, he would turn to her, rub the nipples on her breasts a few times mainly to arouse himself, because it had no affect on her, and then thrust himself inside her for about twenty seconds before he gave a series of gasps to show that he was satisfied and then collapsed like a dead whale on his side of the bed. As far as she was concerned, it was a wholly pointless affair but she could do nothing about it. At one time soon after he had satisfied himself, he turned to apologise for hurting her.

  ‘No,’ she replied. ‘You didn’t hurt me. Why do you ask?’

  ‘Oh,’ he said. ‘I thought you moved.’

  The insult did not go amiss and, after that, they hardly every touched each other again,

  When the police visited her to report the death of her husband, she approached Mr. G. to see whether he was willing to establish a permanent relationship with her. To her dismay, he declined honourably suggesting that the present arrangement was so good they shouldn’t seek to spoil it. Thereafter she went out with him every Wednesday as usual continuing their physical relationship as before and she had to agree that it tended to suit both of them.

  Mr. G. was delighted when Rose told him about her husband’s idea on hydrogen tics and he was most thankful to her for it, buying her an extremely expensive necklace as an expression of gratitude. Business was business and needed to be separated from romance. He considered the information she gave him most carefully but, more importantly, he recognised that his desire to remain a bachelor had to be overcome. He was not getting any younger and most women tended not to want to become too closely involved with a one-armed man. He knew that he could live with Rose as her partner or even marry her but he was scared that a constant presence with each other might destroy everything they had at present and that, after a honeymoon was over, their feelings towards each other might change. Having an illicit affair was most exciting but it lost all of its lustre when informality and a constant presence changed its nature. If he and Rose lived together permanently, they would become as dull as any other married couple... especially as they were unlikely to have any children. He hated children, recalling the belting he had received from his father when tied to a chair in the back yard. No, there would be no children if they married which would mean he would have to concentrate on keeping Rose happy all the time. It was too much of a heavy burden to consider so, with an element of reluctance, he decided to decline her offer to move in with him and become her permanent lover.

  Chapter Eight

  After he had failed to achieve the formula and the accompanying notes, Jake’s next step was to go back to Mr. G. to tell him the news. He was extremely annoyed that he was still at square one with his mission. The one-armed entrepreneur sat quite still when the news was related to him and he puffed on a large Cuban cigar, and sipped at his glass filled with Jack Daniels.

  ‘This isn’t good,’ he told the ex-convict. ‘I really want that information. It’s very important that I get it!’

  ‘Sorry,’ returned Jake apologetically. ‘The man was a nut case. He wouldn’t accept a million pounds for doing practically nothing. Rose, his wife, tried to influence him but he’d have none of it. His principles and obstinacy were so strong they coloured his vision. He was one of life’s losers.’

  ‘Right,’ responded Mr. G. ‘What happens next? How do we get our hands on the information?’

  ‘Apparently, all the notes have gone and the computer’s been wiped clean. How either of those things happened is a complete mystery. I really don’t know where to go next.’

  ‘Who wiped the computer clean?’ asked Gardner with an element of anger in his voice.

  ‘No idea,’ stated Jake flatly. ‘Maybe someone else stole the information.’

  ‘Okay,’ returned the entrepreneur sharply. ‘You tell me where we go from here.’

  The ex-convict paused to think for a moment before replying. ‘I’ve done some research on the guy who worked with Harris,’ he began, sitting down in a chair opposite the other man.

  ‘And?’ came the question.

  ‘He’s a loner. Very awkward. Has trouble communicating. I’ve made an appointment to see him at his home but I don’t know how well that will go. He’s one of those crazy scientists who’s not in the real world.

  ‘Okay,’ repeated Mr. G. nodding as he blew a stream of smoke to the ceiling. ‘You have a way of persuading people to do your bidding. Let’s see what you can do with him.’

  ‘I’m concerned that the papers are missing and the computer’s wiped clean,’ continued the ex-convict.

  ‘Come on, Jake!’ uttered the entrepreneur after taking a sip of his drink. ‘Ideas like that don’t simply disappear. Someone must have control of them! Maybe this other scientist who worked with him saw the opportunity to make money and decided to cut a piece of the action for himself. It’s quite possible. I mean he’s the one who could make all the papers disappear and clear the computer.’

  ‘I’m not sure he’d really want to do that?’

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘He hasn’t any negotiating skills. He’s very dull and backward. If he has those papers, I don’t believe he’d know what to do with them if they were in his possession.’

  ‘He can’t be that thick!’

  ‘Don’t overestimate him. He’s not like us.’ Jake was firm in his analysis of the man.

  ‘Okay... I’ll leave it with you,’ continued the entrepreneur as though he had a choice. He was now beginning to become frustrated with the issue. It should have been so simple to get Harris’s agreement and to have his hands on the formula and the notes so that he could approach third parties to sell them the idea., However there had been a fly in the ointment which had now been removed although he was greatly concerned that all the data was missing. It seemed as though he had to face one hurdle after another without any hope of reaching the finishing line.

  After the meeting, Jake left the room and went directly to see Don at his apartment. It was a simple bedsit sporting very little furniture. The man clearly let a strictly Spartan life.

  ‘You rent this place, do you?’ he asked the scientist.

  ‘Yes... it’s quite ch... cheap,’ came the answer. ‘I’ve been here for two years now.’

  ‘Don’t you want to better yourself? Wouldn’t you like to buy a villa somewhere, retire to a place that’s really nice... maybe in the sun... so you can lounge around without having to worry about work?’

  ‘What else would I do with m... myself?’ enquired Don naively seemingly worried by the concept.

  The ex-convict was surprised at the response as most people would simply sit back and dream with an element of greed in their minds.

  ‘There’s a million things you can do if you had the money.’ he went on, hoping to influence the other man but his argument fell on deaf ears.

  ‘M... money means nothing to me,’ declared the scientist freely. ‘It’s of no interest to me.’

  Jake could see immediately that he had an uphill battle to convince the man although he had no option but to carry on.

  ‘Look,’ he continued. ‘I have a proposition for you. It’s about the formula and the notes concerning that heating theory discovered by your colleague Bob Harris.’

  ‘It was Bob’s idea not m... mine,’ stuttered Don most humbly.

  ‘It doesn’t matter,’ rendered Jake the carelessly. ‘I need to get a copy of the formula and the notes.’

  �
�You don’t know it but the p... papers are m... missing and the c... computer’s been wiped clean.’

  ‘I’ve already been told that but you must have a copy somewhere. It can’t have all just disappeared!’

  ‘I don’t know. Mr. C... Coleman has a c... copy but he’s not there any more. He’s gone sick... a mental breakdown.’

  ‘Do you think you could look again for me? I need the information urgently.’ Jake was beginning to despair. The scientist seemed not the least bit interested in helping him in his quest. ‘Look,’ he went on. ‘I’m willing to pay you handsomely for it. Just name your figure.’

  ‘I don’t want your money?’ insisted the scientist, confused by the fact that he had already told the man his views,

  ‘I can make you very rich,’ persisted Jake ignoring the man’s denial. ‘You’d be able to retire... do anything you want to do in life.’

  Don stared at him vacantly. ‘All I want to do is to w... work. There’s nothing else for m... me in life. That’s my problem.’

  Jake paused to reflect the situation. ‘Are you really saying you’re not interested in money?’

  ‘Why should I be?’ came the response. ‘I don’t need it. All I need is m... my j... job.’

  ‘Come on!’ continued the other man firmly. ‘There must be something you want. Think about it!’

  Don stared at him bleakly. ‘Yes there is,’ he retorted thoughtfully. There was a very long pause before he continued. ‘I want to be handsome, s... slim, attractive to women, stop stuttering, m... more worldly wise, and be able to ch... charm the female sex. But that’s way out of your reach. If you could do that, I’m your man. You can have anything you like.’

  ‘Do you really mean that?’ asked Jake noting some light at the end of the tunnel.

  ‘As I s... said, it’s out of your r... reach.’

  ‘Maybe it’s not,’ returned the ex-convict thoughtfully. ‘Give me a couple of days and I may be able to do something to help you. If I can fix it, do we have a deal?’

  ‘We have a d... deal, but I d... don’t think you’ll be s... successful.’

  ‘We’ll see,’ uttered Jake hopefully. ‘I’ll catch you later. Oh, there’s just one more thing. You’ll need to use the code whenever we contact each other.’

  ‘What c... code?’

  ‘It’s The Quick Brown Fox Jumps Over The Lazy Dog. In that way we’ll know exactly who we’re both talking to. It a kind of security device.’

  ‘The quick b... brown fox jumps over the lazy d... dog,’ uttered Don slowly.

  ‘You got it! Catch you later!’

  ‘Catch you l... later,’ repeated the scientist as the other man went to the door and left.

  Don sat on the edge of the bed thinking about the discussion. It was a vain hope that anyone would be able to do anything to help him. He was a lost cause but if the man came up with something, he would let him have the information he wanted... if he could ever find it. It was the first time in his life that anyone showed an interest in helping him and he would reciprocate in any way that he could if the man managed to assist him in his earnest desire. It was definitely something to hope for,

  Jake climbed into his car with a positive expression on his face. He could see a way out of his dilemma at last. It simply needed to be organised and the cost to Mr. G. would be minimal. He would be delighted with the sudden turn of events, The information could be obtained for practically nothing with no strings attached, What could be better than that? Indeed, what could be better than that?

  ***

  Change is ever-present. It is that way for every person alive regardless of what they do or where they live, or their financial situation or their status in life. Nothing can ever stop it... and it sometimes acts faster than inflation or, ostensibly, at the speed of light throughout the years. The reason for it is effected somewhere in the hereinafter, beyond the reach and the understanding of every human psyche caused by the advancement of technology and the existence of an evil spirit which goes by the name of the Cosmic Joker. It has a very wide vision covering every person’s life on the planet enjoying acting on impulse to make the lives of the people either better or worse according to its whim. The problem has always been that it acts for twenty-four hours of each day eternally to interfere with every single person. Some people will find, at random, that they have the good fortune to become millionaires by winning the lottery; other will die in a hurricane or a tsunami, many will rise or fall in terms of relationships, finance, health, employment, accidents, and a whole host of other issues both good and evil, The fate of each individual depends on its whim towards them on any particular moment of any day. No one can escape the clutches of the Cosmic Joker and it is the reason why coincidences and strange happenings, paranormal or otherwise, occur in daily life on occasion astonishing everyone.

  Anya Smirnoff was no exception to the spirit. She was born in a city in Uzbekistan which was once under the control of the U.S.S.R. She came from Samarkand, one of the oldest cities that had been in the Soviet Union which had celebrated its 2,500th anniversary in 1961. Known as Maracanda in ancient times, it was taken by Alexander the Great in the fourth century b.c... and had long been a centre of Arabic learning. It became part of Uzbekistan in 1924 once having been the capital of Tamerlaine’s empire. The region was renowned for its karakul lamb pelts and Anya was employed at the Karakul Breeding Institute as a scientist working on diseases and various cultures affecting sheep.

  However there were serious problems relating to her work, her parents and the environment. Uzbekistan was landlocked with its economy relying on the growing of cotton and the discovery of gold, uranium and natural gas. It was very tightly controlled by a government comprising a hundred-and-fifty people who refused to allow foreign investment and restricted imports by means of exceptionally high duties. It also had a serious problem with regard to human rights and individual freedom, which it constantly denied, and it was often criticised by international organisations for such practices. One of the main problems for the region was the disappearance of the Aral Sea, one of the great inland lakes, at the end of the 20th century. It had been used to irrigate the land as a massive amount of water was used in farming. The other problem was the rampant inflation in the economy which the government had great difficulty in getting under control.

  It was no surprise therefore that towards the end of the 20th century Anya and her parents found that existence in Uzbekistan was becoming too difficult and they decided to emigrate to Britain. They achieved this successfully and found a home for themselves in an apartment in the East End of London. Anya’s parents managed to find employment in the sweatshop factories manufacturing ladies garments although she was not as fortunate, There were no companies willing to offer a person with no scientific experience of anything except the diseases which affected lambs, Nonetheless, she was supported by her father who eventually left his job at the ladies garment factory to become a doorman at a plush hotel in the West End of London, opening the main door for visitors, hailing taxis for them and assisting other staff when deliveries were made at the rear entrance. He was extremely proud of his well-tailored uniform which consisted of a splendid long coat and a tall black hat. Her mother also changed her joh to work for three ladies of leisure as a cleaner to assist with the family income. For the first time in their lives, everyone was beginning to come together. However, where Anya was concerned, it was the turn of the Cosmic Joker to change the situation for her but he wanted firstly to be paid in full. The Smirnoffs managed to save up some money and eventually bought themselves a small motor car. Every Sunday they used to go out for recreation together, driving to the countryside to look at the open fields and the animals or go to Westcliff-on-Sea to sit and sunbathe on the beach, On one of these occasions, Anya’s father was driving along at speed on the main road when a car erratically and illegally came out of a side road at
speed in front of them on to the main highway. Smirnoff swerved on the steering-wheel violently in an attempt to avoid an accident but his efforts were futile and dangerous because all he could do was to swing his vehicle directly into the path of a very large lorry coming from the other direction. The result was a head on crash of immense proportion. Anya was thrown from the rear of the car to be ejected through the front windscreen. Her parents were much less fortunate, forfeiting their lives in the collision. The accident was an absolute disaster. The car was wrecked, her father and mother were killed outright, and she was very badly injured.

  Anya was taken to hospital in an appalling condition and immediately placed on the critical list. Her clavicle had been broken as well as six ribs but that was only part of the injury. The problem which affected her most severely was that her face had been severely sliced and torn by the very sharp edges of the shattered windscreen and her nose had been driven into the body of the car as she was pitched forward at speed. She had been forced through the windscreen it so severely that she was totally unrecognisable from any of her photographs with her nose smashed in, her cheekbones fractured, her jaw dislocated, one ear had been torn off, one eye had been pushed out of its socket, and there were extremely serious serrations to the skin and facial tissue from chin to forehead.

  In hospital, the surgeons worked on her desperately not only to save her life but in an attempt to try to restore some semblance of her features. However they knew that the damage was extremely extensive. In order to bring the young woman back to a reasonable state was going to be a long haul. She was like a rag doll when she was brought into hospital as the damage was almost irreparable yet they continued to operate on her as a matter of duty and care, After all, here was a young woman with her life ahead of her who could not be seen by anyone else because of the awful damage that had been done to her face. They could secure her clavicle and, in time, her ribs would automatically repair themselves but the damage to her face was a much more serious problem. Eventually, after many months, they began to gain ground but she could still not be seen in the public as people would be nauseated by the sight of her. Ultimately, when she became fit enough to leave the hospital, they had no option but to offer her a mask to hide her face and, sensibly, she agreed to wear it in order to continue her life in the rest of the world.