Judge Jolly (standard:mystery, 1120 words)
Author: Brian Cross	Added: Jul 17 2008	Views/Reads: 4168/2411	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
The loss of a cell phone leads Todd Chambers on a journey to retrieve it, with unexpected consequences.

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

‘The young man for the phone, Mr. Jolly,' the butler said sternly. 

‘It is on the coffee table Higgins,' Jolly croaked, without removing his
face from the paper, ‘would you kindly hand it to him?' As Higgins 
stretched down and picked up the bright red phone Todd instantly 
recognised as his, he continued, ‘I was not the one who found your 
phone, it is the finder you need to thank.' 

Todd took the phone, feeling he was addressing the newspaper rather than
the man behind it, ‘I'm very grateful, might I ask who and where is the 
finder?' 

‘He has had to go out, if you would care to wait and thank him
personally. Take a seat...' 

Todd was on the verge of refusing until he noticed Higgins' hulking
shape blocking the doorway, and to further his consternation Jolly's 
words had sounded like a command. 

He settled uneasily in a leather chair as the old man continued to read
his paper, tutting at an article, ‘So much theft in the world these 
days, one cannot leave anything lying around – you are so fortunate to 
be re-associated with your phone.' 

‘Yes –‘ Todd said nervily; sitting there, listening to the monotonous
ticking of the mantel clock while the butler eyed him from the doorway; 
he was beginning to wonder whether his phone had been genuinely 
retrieved or whether something more sinister was afoot. 

Twenty uncomfortable minutes must have passed before the bell rang and
the butler left his sentry duty to answer the door. He heard heavy 
footsteps along the hall and then into the room stepped a large well 
built man with a scar on his right cheek. 

Turner – Brian Turner. 

One of the names in his directory – had he found the phone? Surely not,
that would be coincidence in the extreme, but before he could dwell on 
that another familiar face, Matt Tyler appeared, then another, Scott 
Walters, until he found himself ringed by a score or more troubled 
youngsters he'd counselled over the years. 

Were they ganging up on him? Had he been lured here, to this quiet
backwater by a sinister syndicate of offenders he'd only tried to help? 
And the old man Jolly, hidden behind the newspaper, was he some kind of 
underworld mastermind who'd engineered...' 

‘Don't look so alarmed Mr. Chambers...' Jolly had suddenly flung down
his newspaper to reveal his true identity and Todd instantly recognised 
David McWeaver, formerly Judge McWeaver. ‘You know what today marks, 
don't you?' he asked, his voice suddenly losing its ageing throatiness. 


‘I don't understand...' 

‘Ten years to the day you've been helping youngsters like these – one or
two of the older ones approached me and so we put together a little 
plan to show our gratitude..' 

‘But we needed help,' said scar-faced Brian Turner, ‘and there wasn't
much time. The best bet lay in the contact numbers on your phone. 
Basically I resorted to an old habit of mine – I stole the phone from 
your pocket, luckily the train was so packed you didn't notice me do it 
– and then I accessed your directory and Judge McWeaver did the rest.' 
He waved his arm around the room as others flocked through the door, 
‘so here we all are to say thanks for your guidance.' 

Todd was gobsmacked. 

‘We know it was underhand,' McWeaver said, and looking wryly at Turner,
‘I did give Brian a little rebuke. Now Higgins will escort us to the 
dining room where cook has laid on a jolly good meal. 


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