Chapter 6
Everyone stares at Ed as he walks through the main entrance and darts straight into his office, shutting the large glass door behind him. His office feels cold; it’s obvious that nobody has worked in here for over a week. His coffee cup is exactly where he left it, now with a dusty green mould lining the bottom of the mug.
He fires up his PC, waiting for it to boot up he stares through the glazed wall into the car showroom; staff members glance in quickly, trying work out what's been happening. Doug then shadows the glazed door, gently knocking as he enters.
'Morning Edward, how are you feeling?'
'Been better thanks, but I need to get away from the four walls of my house.'
'We know Ed, your face is a mess, what happened?' says Doug with a sympathetic look on his face.
'Long story, anyway, I just hope they find her, it's driving me insane.' the lies fly off his tongue, like a frog catching a fly.
'We're all here for you soldier.' making a fist and tapping his chest gently.
'Cheers Doug.' Doug then smiles and leaves the room, shaking his head to one of his staff standing outside the door looking concerned.
Ed sits back in his large brown office chair and begins to trawl through his emails. A lot of them are missed appointments for training, so Ed gets to work rescheduling them, at the same time wondering how on earth is he going to be able to continue his job with some psycho on his case.
Angela from reception knocks and walks in, she's always had a crush on Ed since she started three years ago and continuously flirts with him, Ed, being no angel, innocently returns the flirts, to the enjoyment of everyone. Angela is a petite girl with dark short hair, large chested and the prettiest face most have seen. Her voice is soft and gentle with a sparkle in her eye that gets her anything she wants.
'Hi, can I fetch you a brew?' looking very pleased to see Ed, ignoring the marks on his face.
'Angela,' he stands up, smiling, 'I'll have my usual please hun.'
'Ok, did ya miss me?' Also smiling, her head tipped slightly to the side.
'Always, Hun.'
Her mouth opens with excitement, a bit like a silent scream and leaves the room to get Ed his usual white coffee and two sugars.
A few hours later, when he’s concentrating on his work, planning his next training course for new starters, an email pings up on his screen. The email address is a strange, not one he recognises, but he opens it anyway. It's a video of his lounge; he watches with apprehension as a figure enters the room, it's Toni. Shocked at what he's seeing he continues to stare at the screen anxiously.
After thirty seconds she stands, then strips off all her clothes, Ed watches closer wondering what on earth is going on when another figure enters from the corner of the screen. It's difficult to make out who it is due to the bad quality of the footage but feels he’s seen this guy before. Toni launches herself at this guy ripping his clothes off in passion, touching him, kissing him and within a minute they're fucking each other. Ed furiously screams out loud bringing attention to himself with Doug bursting into his office.
'Edward, what is going on?' He’s angry at the outburst, which has disturbed the customers in the showroom.
'Sorry Doug, just had a mad moment won't happen again.'
'Ok, but don't forget where you are, if you need more time off, say?'
'No it's ok, sorry Doug.' Doug leaves the office, red-faced and embarrassed.
Returning to the awful footage of Toni having sex with another guy in his own home, it breaks his heart. He had no idea, no suspicion and never ever thought Toni was capable of such disloyal behaviour. He watches the video again, this time paying more attention to the guy. 'Where do I know him from?' he asks himself. All the electrical impulses fire in his brain at once then realises - it’s the Tyrone guy.
Ed, now feeling cheated and with a huge dent in his pride, is on a mission to find out what the fuck has been going on. He shuts down his computer by turning it off at the plug, grabs his phone and wallet then storms out of the showroom, ready to take on the world, like a striking cobra to a rat.
Heads turn once again as Doug walks briskly out the door after Ed.
'Edward!' He shouts, trying to help. Ed ignores him. Doug, feeling slightly hurt and helpless, returns to work, worried.
Arriving back home Ed begins to turn the lounge upside down trying to find the camera, from the angle of the video he finds it, just behind the DVD player underneath the TV. He traces the cable from the small camera to a tablet PC stowed nicely under the TV unit.
The tablet looks expensive. He looks round the unit and finds the power button. Switches it on, takes a seat and begins playing with it.
After about an hour of fumbling with it, he finally works out how to navigate his way round; finding all sorts of documents, videos and even pictures. The videos are mainly of Ed’s front room, lots that show Toni fucking Tyrone; they date back as far as six months. Ed’s blood boils instantly and now he wants revenge, not only for having his life turned upside down from the malicious acts he's been forced into but also Tyrone has been fucking Toni for more than six months. He asks himself, why are these people playing me?
The pictures on the unit are of Toni and Tyrone; they've been having a full affair, photos of them on a beach, with her mum Sandy and lots of naked, sexual pictures of them together and alone. Ed feels sick; his pride has gone out the window, making him feel completely inadequate.
Ed’s heart races when he comes across a scanned bank statement belonging to Tyrone giving his full address: Tyrone Glade, 43 New Street. He smiles, knowing where this is and will be paying Mr Big Dick a visit tonight.
Planning his moves and now 10.00 pm, Ed’s tooled up with a fishing knife, black clothes and steel toecap boots. He leaves his house to get the answers he wants and also revenge the fake life he's been leading for God only knows how long.
Halfway there, with still another twenty-five minutes of walking, his phone rings.
'Remember I told you this is the beginning of the nightmare I meant it, listen.' The phone is silent for a few seconds then hears his mum’s voice in the background.
'Help me Ed; they're going to kill me!'
Freezing on the spot, Eds hand grips the phone hard with anger. 'Don't you fucking hurt her!'
'What are you going to do Edward?' patronising him, making him feel worthless.
'Fuck you!'
'Now now little boy, you’re not in a position to be telling the big bad wolf bad words.' Now he's really getting under his skin. 'Go and fuck yourself.'
'Ha, sticks and stones my little friend, but Tyrone has already taught your mum a thing or two in that department!'
Before Ed has a chance to retaliate the caller hangs up, leaving Ed mortified at the words he just heard.
Now at boiling point, Ed marches double-time towards the address he found, not on a mission for answers but to torture them both until they beg for mercy.
Sweating, heart racing, adrenaline running through his veins, Ed slowly walks up the footpath of number 43 and gently knocks. He hears voices, waits patiently as the door unlocks and opens. It's Tyrone, shocked at the sight of Ed he hesitates to do anything, giving Ed a split second opportunity to withdraw the fishing knife and drive it down into Tyrone’s right shoulder instantly dropping the big guy to the floor but not killing him; Ed wants him alive.
Ed steps over the helpless giant, slams the door behind him, then twists the knife, causing Tyrone obvious and immense pain. Leaving him lying on the floor Ed checks the rest of the house to make sure that Tyrone is alone, kind of wishing he did that first, luckily no one else is home.
Returning to the injured man, Ed stands over him, leans down and puts his face up close to Tyrone’s.
'I know about you and Toni and I can promise you this, you will regret ever touching her.' Tyrone looks Ed in the eyes and begins to speak.
'I’m sorry, it was never meant to be this way, I'm sorry man, don't hurt me.' Tyrone knows that Ed is cap
able of killing him without hesitation.
'Too late, you big fucker.’ Ed coughs up phlegm and spits it straight into his face; Tyrone flinches but does not retaliate. The big, hard, megalomaniac isn't so powerful now.
Ed stomps on Tyrone’s face, driving the heel in, wanting to cause as much pain as possible. After about thirty minutes of pure malicious violence Tyrone isn't looking too good. His face is smashed in; Ed’s broken both of his arms and has stabbed him numerous times in non-fatal areas on his body. Tyrone isn't moving much and is groaning in pain and struggling to breathe.
Ed, showing no remorse, smiles down at him, then cuts open his trousers to reveal his penis, 'Now I can see what Toni's interest was because boy you are one ugly motherfucker.'
Tyrone groans loud anticipating what's about to come next.
Ed presses the blade against Tyrone’s penis and toys with him, causing him to flinch and try to fight back. Being in incredible pain this proves difficult and he admits defeat by laying his head back down. Ed hates this guy with a passion and would do anything to see him suffer, but dismembering another man is just not his style and he feels that Tyrone has had enough. He puts the knife away; as he does he notices Tyrone’s whole body relax.
Ed leans into his line of sight. 'Every time you’re asked to come after me or anyone in my family you remember today, the day I let you live, the day I left your manhood intact, ok?' Ed, enjoying the power, looks at Tyrone waiting for a response.
'Yes.' He struggles to say.
'I have your word?' Tyrone struggles but manages to lift a hand, gesturing to shake. Ed accepts.
'Make sure you stick by it big man.' Tyrones lips quiver and manages to speak.
'I give you my word.'
Ed, standing over him, puts out his hand to help him up, this guy must weigh twenty stone but he manages to help him to his feet and into the front room. Tyrone flops onto the couch, clutching his head and face. Then, out of nowhere, Tyrone bursts into tears and looks up at Ed,
'None of this is my fault man.'
'What? Whose fault is it then?' Ed, feeling soft but still guarded, furrows his brow, looking angry.
'Everything, all this shit you have been going through, it's my boss he has a hold over us man.'
'What do you mean boss, what the fuck is all this shit about? I come home from giving a training course to find my girlfriend has been murdered.' Talking about it makes Ed angry and pulls the knife from his pocket. 'I need answers and I need them now.'
'You know if I tell you I'm a dead man.'
'Well if you don't, you’re a dead man.' Ed steps in closer, holding the knife out in front.
Minutes have now passed and Tyrone has yet to say anything, Ed steps in closer, this time pressing the blade firmly again his throat.
'I'm going to count to to five, you either speak or I cut you!'
Tyrone looks up and smiles, 'You fool man, you fucking fool.'
Ed tenses up, preparing to spill Tyrone’s blood for the last time, when suddenly he feels a sharp pain in the back of his head. The knife drops to the floor followed by Ed onto his knees. Staring at Tyrone, he has no idea what had just hit him. Tyrone stands tall in front of him,
'Should have killed me when you had the chance.' he says as he pushes Ed to the floor, knocked out cold by the person he always loved since the day he laid eyes on her.
Toni stands behind with a claw hammer in hand, smiling at Tyrone.
'We need him alive at the moment to make all this work.'
'I know but he was close to killing me, he's cleverer than we thought, how did he find us?'
'I don't know, always thought he was a dumb fuck, that's why he fell for me for all those years.'
'Ha ha your one cold bitch but that's why I love you.'
'Sweet, right we got to get him out of here before he wakes.' She looks down on Ed and shows no remorse.
'Ty, do you think he knows I'm still alive?'
'Dont think he has a clue, I hope this whole plan is worth it?'
'Trust me it will be.' Ty lifts Ed like a baby, tenses in pain with his knife wound and broken arms and struggles to carry him out the door. He drops him from the pain and decides to drag him down the path and throws him into the boot of a car. He looks back towards the house and gives Toni the thumbs up; she waves in return. He struggles into the car clutching his shoulder, fires up the engine and powers off down the road.
***