The phone rang as Matthew wiped a small space in the condensation on his front window. He peered out, but couldn’t see any strange cars in the glistening, frozen street.
“It’s Jane here,” the receiver said as he held it to his ear.
“Good morning,” said Matthew.
“Everything still on Matt?”
“Yeah, the trains at ten to nine, I’ll see you at the Station.”
“Okay, bye.”
He glanced at his watch it was ten to eight; the taxi was coming at twenty past, so he rummaged in the hall cupboard and found a holdall similar to one he had packed. He folded it down as best as he could and stuffed it into the holdall which contained his things. He headed upstairs and brushed his teeth. Then he surveyed the house to see if everything was off, which it was, but Matthew, being Matthew, had to check.
The taxi arrived on time. Matthew got in and asked the driver to take him to the bus station. As the cab turned into Culloden Road he looked out of the rear window and watched a black Citroen follow. He wondered why the police or anyone else in a place like Arbroath hadn't noticed these men. Perhaps they were like ‘The Men in Black’, he thought, as a wry grin crossed his face.
At the bus station Matthew paid the cabbie and took his bag from the boot. He walked over to the seat next to the passage which led to the back of the building. Setting his bag down he pulled out the folded one. He then nudged the other round the corner and placed the now inflated empty holdall on the seat. He checked his watch as he sat down - it was twenty-five past the hour. The black Citroen pulled in and parked at the passenger pickup point facing the stance.
At half-past eight Matthew stood up and went down the passageway to the toilet leaving the empty bag on the seat. The gents was out of view from the pickup point. On the way he picked up his full holdall and ran out of the back.
Jane was standing by the front door as he arrived at the railway station.
“You’re late,” she said.
“Sorry, last minute business," he replied.
They went into the ticket office, and Matthew bought two single tickets to Newcastle. He then gave the clerk a further ten pounds.
“That’s for you, if two men ask where we’ve gone to, tell them… London. We’re eloping -
they’re Jane’s brothers,” he said with a wink.
They then went down to platform one to wait for the train where there was a large party of people with cases, talking about going off on holiday. Matthew looked at his watch, it was twenty to nine In the cooling Citroen Lagrange glanced at the time.
“Eight-forty, that’s ten minutes he’s been in the toilet; something’s wrong,” he said as he opened the car door.
He ran across to the gents’ toilet and threw open the door, then walked over to the cubicle.
“He’s gone!” Lagrange said to Caron, who was now standing behind him.
They ran out to the seat where Matthew had been sitting, and Lagrange grabbed the holdall.
“Empty,” he growled.
“Where’s he gone?” Caron asked.
“The Railway Station!” Lagrange shouted.
The London train slowed down as it approached the platform. Matthew checked the time on one of the big, black clocks that hung over the platform. It was leaving quarter to the hour. The train came to a halt, and an eternity passed, for Matthew, before the automatic locks released and passengers leaving the carriages opened the doors.
Once they were off, Jane stepped on board followed by Matthew, who glanced up the stairs. Was that shouts? Oh God! he thought.
They then sat down at a table facing each other, on the platform side of the train. It’s just the Station Master, he thought.
After another eternity the click of the automatic locks brought relief to Matthew, and he lounged back in his seat.
“You okay Matt?" Jane asked. "You look stressed,” she continued.
Matthew was about to answer when he heard the clatter of shoe leather on metal coming from the direction of the stairs. And, as the train pulled away, Hamilton and Jones ran up to the door just in front of where they were sitting. Hamilton thumped his fist on the glass, then stood and stared at Matthew as he passed.
“Who were they? Jane asked as the train picked up speed.
“It’s a long story.”
“Well, we’ve got a spare couple of hours,” she said, grinning.