Curiosity Killed The Cat

She was ready this morning. Trips over the past weeks had prepared her for today. She never even thought of the consequences if someone should find out what she was doing, to her it was something that she had to do. There was no other way!

Her house was positioned on a bend, which enabled her to view almost all the houses in her street from her bedroom window. Not a lot went on in the village of Hapley but whatever did she usually found out about it. Her husband often told her that ‘curiosity killed the cat’ but she took no notice.    She was like any normal person when she first moved into their new house, now the children had left home she began to become more curious as to what went on in her locality.

The house was spotless with not a thing out of place and, having always found it difficult to make friends she soon found she was living a life of boredom. So what was once just curiosity soon became an obsession. What her husband had never seen was the card file that she kept hidden. One thing led to another and before long she had built a file on almost every person that lived in the street, occupations, pastimes and whatever details she could get hold of were recorded.

John Gregson had moved over the road a couple of months ago so he quickly became her priority, she had soon found out his name, his age she guessed at fifty. He owned a Vauxhall car which was cleaned and polished every Tuesday evening. He didn’t drive to work though, he walked down the main road from where he caught the 7.35 bus into town.

She was slightly annoyed when she picked up his record card because, after a couple of months she still had a blank on it. The way he dressed when he left home of the morning gave no indication as to what he did for a living. He dressed casually just as if he was going out for a stroll except, of course for his transparent sandwich box. She decided that drastic action would have to be taken, the blank line on his card was niggling her. She would sit by her window and wonder what he did for a living. It was no good, it had to be done.

The past few weeks she had been going out early to do her shopping. She was clever. She made a number of observations on John Gregson without drawing attention to herself. She found out which bus he was travelling on, where he caught it and where he got off. The annoying thing was that, although she knew he entered the town’s modern shopping centre at 07.45 and left at 18.05. she still did not know where he was actually employed.

Today though, she was at the bus stop first. She was a little nervous when he arrived. He said ‘hello’ to her and made a few remarks about the weather. He obviously had no idea as to what she was doing. As far as he was concerned she was just going to town to to some shopping. She had her small wicker basket with her. Inside and covered with her purse was his file card with the blank line. She was sure this would be filled in today.

The bus arrived and she made her way to the rear seats. She did not use the bus service very often but it was necessary in this case. John Gregson sat near the front. It was only a short journey to the town. On arrival she made sure he alighted before herself and was soon in pursuit. She noted the time on the clock over the entrance to the shopping mall as he stepped on to the escalator, it was 07.45. She knew the time without looking but she wanted to just double check and be certain. She held back slightly and waited till he was halfway up the mall before she stepped on.

She was confident that he had no idea that she was following him. She was quickly at the top of the escalator, he was about thirty paces in front of her. He turned left at the end of the passageway. This would take him to the rear entrance of the shops. She moved on more quickly now. Her heart dropped when she got to the end, because he was nowhere to be seen. In the time it took her to reach the end he could have gone through and number of doors. She decided against following any further and quickly made her way to the area at the front of the shops where she though he would be. Apart from a butcher and a café they were all still closed. It was now 07.55.

She entered the café and ordered a cup of tea and sat at a table by the window. She had a clear view of all the shops where she presumed he was. There were more people about now and one by one the shops all opened for business. She did not rush her drink. She was still confident that she would get a result today, providing of course that he didn’t leave by the rear entrance. She thought to herself ‘Curiosity killed the cat’ indeed and smiled to herself. She finally finished her drink and, without her eyes leaving the window, she left.

A steady walk to the end of the mall and back brought her no joy. She turned and went back to the centre of the mall and entered the large book section in a large department store. She enjoyed reading and had been in this shop several times. She glanced at the card which now sat at the top of her basket. The empty line was still bothering her. She covered it again with her purse. She was determined to fill it in today. She would hate anyone else to see the card. She was browsing through the book while keeping her eyes on the window just in case. She picked up a detective book which looked to be of interest, she would come back again for a closer look. Today she could only concentrate on filling in the file card.

She saw someone through a shop window opposite her. She wasn’t sure so moved along the window to try and get a better view. Whoever it was had gone. Could it have been him? Then she spotted the figure again walking down the mall, it was only a rear view and wasn’t certain, but she couldn’t risk it. She was curious as to why his clothes looked different, but she was so sure it was him. Without thinking she dropped the book in her basket and quickly went outside.

She had taken no more than a couple of paces when she felt a hand placed on her shoulder. She had not been aware that the shop assistant had been watching her movements in the book shop. It quickly dawned on her, ‘the book in her basket’.  She cursed herself for being so careless. She was sure she could explain her way out of this, but by then John Gregson could be well gone.

She put up no resistance when asked to go along with the shop assistant to the Managers’ office. To the assistant’s surprise she put up no resistance. The Manager listed to what she had to say. She explained she thought she had spotted an old friend and went quickly out of the shop without thinking. But he insisted that although he didn’t doubt her word that, she must see the Mall’s Head of security. This is a procedure that must be adhered to.

She knew then that today’s journey was a complete loss. All she hoped now was that she would get out of this situation with the minimum of fuss. If ever her husband or the neighbours found out! To her that would be the end. The knock on the door came from behind her. She didn’t hear the door open. She was more concerned about the file card that lay beside the book on the Manager’s desk. If anyone who knew her ever saw the card, her husband, her children, what would they think. How would she explain it?  She instantly made up her mind to destroy all the cards when she returned home. She wished she were there now preparing her husband’s dinner.

She sensed someone was stood beside her but she never looked round. She was doing her best to remain calm. The Manager looked up ‘Good morning Mr Gregson’, we seem to have a slight problem here’.

Her eyes never got to his face. She managed to look so far up his ivory shirt and then her eyes stopped at the badge pinned to his chest pocket. Mr J Gregson. Chief Security Officer. All of a sudden she did not feel well.