Read Online Bacchus and Sanderson (Deceased) by Simon Speight - Free Book Online

she could hear were the click of shoes on a hard floor as the man walked for a minute or more. The clicking stopped and she heard a door closing and the man then spoke into the handset.
    “Yes?” The question was direct without being terse.
    “I might need your help again,” she followed his succinct form of speech which she knew he reserved for mobile phone conversations.
    “Why?”
    “Thrasher is an idiot and Sanderson was very clever. I had instructed Thrasher to copy all the documents relating to Sanderson’s will and the bequests he had made. Sanderson had booby trapped our ability to pry by using unique stationery that was traceable and testable by a specific person. Sanderson intimated if anything was attempted, especially if this occurred post-mortem, an investigation would begin and would involve Thrashers superiors. He had made a connection to us; how, I need to look into. However, it follows that he has included this in any information he has passed on. Therefore; William Bacchus might need to be removed.”
    “When?”
    “Not yet. We don’t yet know his connection to Sanderson or what was passed to him. If he becomes a problem I need you to have prepared for his demise. Not an accident. We need to send a message.”
                  There was a long pause before the man on the other end of the mobile phone spoke again.
    “Charles would be proud. I am at your service.”
    ***
    Ernest was sitting on a chair in his bedroom. He wasn’t sure how long he had been sitting. His watch said about an hour, the alarm clock on the bedside cabinet said ten minutes. Perhaps he hadn’t looked properly the last time he had glanced at either of them.
                  Her exit had a touch of class, rather dramatic; ‘Eternity really is a long time.’ he mimicked. Find himself a helper?
                  He had recognised early in his commercial career that he required two things in his assistants: the ability to work without constant supervision - give them a project and let them get on with it. Plus, the gift of perception and cognition. The understanding might be of a report, a set of accounts or of a person. Also, intuition, perception, perhaps a sixth sense, so he could use them as a sounding board, a backstop for his own thoughts. If they had all of these attributes or appeared to have the potential to develop at least some of them, then they were hired.
                  The only person he could offer Juanita as his helper was William Bacchus. The product of a brief affair before he had met Jess. The boy had proven to be bright, very bright and he would have fitted into the company with ease, if his chosen career had been secular.
    “Who have you chosen?” The question wasn’t adversarial, a complete change to their last conversation.
    “Or should I ask if you have chosen anyone?”
                  Ernest grimaced, holding his hands out in front of him, expressing the difficulties he was having.
    “I might have someone who is possible. A faint hope. I don’t know them well, at all really. We are going to have to consider them though as I can’t think of anyone else who I would trust to take out the rubbish, let alone have some control over whether I’m here forever or not.”
    Juanita smiled and nodded to encourage him,
    “Who is it?”
    “Before I answer can you tell me a little about how we contact them, converse with them, explain what we need and why they should help?”
    Struggling to maintain a rein on her patience, Juanita paced the confines of the room for a moment while she considered how to answer him.
    “I have had many centuries of experience and as a consequence have amassed a number of techniques to help us facilitate contact, conversation and avoid affecting our subject’s sanity.” She paused. Before she could continue, Ernest interrupted,
    “Humour me. Share your centuries of experience. The reason I ask for this reassurance is