What If… Jay’s
Big Night
We have seen what might happen if Jay Edwards and
friends visited the Brady family – but what if it was the same time period, and
it was the family of a rich businessman in the 1970’s? How would things differ? Shall we find out…
“I wish I didn’t have to stay at home Gran,” Kelly
Holmes said as she sat on the leather couch and swung her legs. She was seven years old, and her school had
closed for the day – which meant she had to spend the day with her grandmother. She had short dark brown hair, and given it
was early January she was wearing a blue patterned jumper and brown corduroy
pants, the legs of which were ticked into a pair of tan leather Frye boots.
“Well, I understand,” Karen Wells said, “but until
your mother and aunts get here with the others, we’ll have to keep each other
company.” Karen was in her early
sixties, her grey hair swept back and large glasses on her nose. She was wearing a peach-coloured V-neck
sweater over a white blouse, a long dark blue tartan skirt and straight black
patent leather boots. Glancing at the
clock, she said “watch with mother will be on soon – why don’t you put that on
while I arrange some lunch for both of us.”
“Okay,” Kelly said with a sigh as Karen made her way
out of the room, down the wooden paneled hallway, and into the kitchen. She looked round and then opened the bread
bin, taking out the Mothers Pride and then went to the fridge to take out some
cold meat and butter.
It was as she was putting the butter back, having made
the sandwiches and poured out two glasses of squash, that she heard the knock
on the front door. “Now who could that
be,” she said to herself as she walked back along the corridor, opening the
door as she said “How can I…”
“Please, no noise, just walk back with your hands raised.”
Karen stared at the four people in the doorway, and
then slowly walked back, her eyes fixed on the sawn-off shotgun held in the
gloved hands of the first man. He was
followed by two more men and one woman – all wearing blue boiler suits, black
leather gloves and boots, and black balaclavas so only their eyes and mouths
could be seen. One of the men was
carrying a second sawn off shotgun, the third two large bags – and the woman
looked at Karen as she said “Hullo thair” in a broad Scottish accent.
“Who are you?”
“We are the people who are in charge now, Mrs. Wells,”
the man said in an accent that sounded as if he was from the Northeast of
England. “Who else is in the house?”
“My granddaughter – no please, we were about to eat…”
“Mrs. McPhee?”
“Aye,” the woman said as she walked past, the armed
man smiling as he said, “my name is Jay Edwards.”
Karen’s eyes opened wide – the Jay Edwards gang? They held the families of businessman hostage
while forcing the men to empty the safes at their businesses…
“I see you have heard of me,” Jay said with a smile as
the man put the bags down, and then pulled the telephone wire out of the
wall. “So, why don’t you get the food
and drink you had made, and then we will talk…”
“Who are you?”
“Mah name is Mrs. McPhee,” the masked woman said as
she came into the front room, “whit’s yer name?”
“Kelly…”
“Well Kelly – the thing is, my friends and I are gonna
stay here a wee while,” Mrs. McPhee said as she sat next to the young girl,
“ahn tha means we heed tae make sure ye and yer granny canny tell anyone we are
here?”
“Why are you wearing a mask?”
“Does it scare ye?”
“It should – but it doesn’t…”
“Guid,” Mrs. McPhee said as she took some brown rope
from the pocket of her boiler suit, “so put yer hahns togefer as if ye’re
praying, and ah’ll tie yer wrists together.”
Kelly looked at her, and then did what she had been asked to do, the
masked woman securing her wrists together as her grandmother carried the tray
of food and drink in.
“Ah’ll do the same tae yer ankles,” Mrs. McPhee said
as Karen handed Kelly a plate and a glass.
“Granny, are we being robbed?”
“I think so,” Karen said as she sipped from her own glass
watching as one of the masked men who had come in knelt down and stated to bind
her ankles together, the squeak as her boots rubbed together making Kelly
giggle as she tried to move and made the same noise.
“What’s your name,” Jay said as he looked over.
“Kelly – what’s yours?”
“I’m called Jay – just do as we say, and…”
They all heard the front door open as Jay hand gagged
Karen, and Mrs. McPhee put her own gloved hand over Kelly’s mouth. They waited as the door opened, and a woman
in her early thirties came in, wearing a grey tartan dress with a wide collar
over a grey sweater, and burgundy red leather boots.
“MHMMMHHH!”
“What the…”
“Hello,” Jay said as he continued to cover Karen’s
mouth, “I take it you are Kelly’s mother?”
“Yes – what’s going on?”
“We have business to conduct with your father-in-law,”
Jay said as one of the two other men came over and took the handbag of the new
arrival. “Remain calm and quiet, and
everyone will be just fine.”
“Let me talk to my mother-in-law.”
Jay nodded as he removed his hand, Karen gasping as
she said “June, I’m so sorry – we’re all going to be hostages to this gang.”
“Is Kelly all right?”
June watched as her daughter nodded, while her hands were taken behind
her back, rope used to secure her wrists together. She was then sat in another armchair as her ankles
were secured.
“She seems to be fine,” Karen said as Mrs. McPhee
removed her hand from Kelly’s mouth.
“I’m ok Mummy,” Kelly said as she took the glass from Mrs.
McPhee and took a drink. “I’m not scared.”
“You’re not?”
“Mrs. McPhee is very good with young children,” Jay
said with a smile. “Karen, is you have
had enough, I need you to put your own hands behind your back.”
“Of course,” Karen said, then realized what she was
doing as she quietly put her own hands behind her back and felt the rough brown
rope on her wrists as they were secured together.
“Karen?”
“I know – but I believe them when they say if we do as
we are asked, we won’t be hurt,” Karen said as Jay tied the rope off, another
masked man kneeling and binding her ankles together.
“Ye need tae be quiet noo,” Mrs. McPhee said as she
rolled a blue headscarf up, “sae open wide.”
Both women watched as she cleave gagged Kelly, tying
the band round her head, and then both allowed the masked men to gag them with
black scarves as well.
“Now,” Jay said as he turned the television off, and
turned the radio on, “we know others are coming, so let us wait…”
June and Karen looked at each other, as the sound of
Pete Murray filled the air…
“Good afternoon – this is David Hamilton, and…”
“Mum – we’re here.”
Karen groaned as she saw two new arrivals come into
the room. The woman had long re-brown hair
and was wearing a purple sleeveless woolen top over a lighter purple blouse, a
long purple and black skirt, and mid-calf cream baggy leather boots.
The girl with her was about the same age as Kelly, her
light brown hair in pigtails, and was wearing a purple dress with a lighter
top, cuffs and tie belt round her waist, knee length white socks and black Mary
Jane shoes. She looked at Kelly and said
“Ooh – what’s happening?”
“Chrsss, jckhh, hmshrhhh…”
“Hello – please, no loud noises,” a masked man said as
the woman turned to look at him and saw the shotgun in his hands. “My name is Jay Edwards – do as we say,
nobody gets hurt. May I ask who you
are?”
“Chrissy…
Chrissy Jones, and this my daughter Jackie… Oh god no – the bank robber?”
“Indeed – Mrs. McPhee, will you make sure Jackie is
the same as Kelly, please?”
“Hthssnhtshbhd.” Kelly mumbled, Jackie seeing how dark
the scarf was at the corners of her mouth as the masked woman said “cum oer
here lassie – ah winnae hurt ye…”
“Go on Jackie,” Chrissy said quietly as she felt her
handbag being removed from her shoulder, and then her arms being moved behind
her back, the rough rope on her wrists as they were secured together.
“Now, I am afraid you are not going to be able to
leave tonight,” Jay said quietly as he looked at both of them, “but I know you
are a widow, so that is not a problem.”
“We’re staying all night?”
Karen slowly nodded as Chrissy watched Mrs. McPhee
bind her daughter’s wrists together in front of her, and then secure her
wrists, the brown rope clearly visible over the white cotton. She was aware of being made to sit on the
floor, and then the pressure on her ankles as they were secured together.
“Open wide.”
Both Chrissy and Jackie found themselves cleave gagged
with rolled up scarves, Kelly nudging Jackie as Mrs. McPhee looked at them –
and then at the door.
“Ahn who dae we hae here?”
“What’s going on?”
Jay turned to see a third woman standing there, with
styled brown hair. She was wearing a V-necked
lilac sweater, a long darker lilac skirt, and baggy black leather boots. With her were two five-year-old girls, one
wearing a black dress with white bands over a dark red jumper, red tights and
cream coloured boots with a dark zip on the inside. The other girl was wearing a long-sleeved red
top over a brown jumper, grey slacks and dark brown boots.
“Ah – if this is Chrissy, may I presume this is your
other daughter Millie?”
Karen slowly nodded as Millie held the two girls, Mrs.
McPhee smiling as Kelly and Jackie wriggled round. “Sae this must be wee Zoe and Chloe, richt?”
“I’m Zoe,” the girl in the dress said, “who are you,
and what have you done to Kelly and Jackie?”
“Well, ah’m Mrs. McPhee,” the masked woman said, “ahn
ah hae tae tell ye both, yer’re gonna be jus like the ofer twa. Cum and join them.”
“Mum?”
Millie looked over and for some reason she felt she
could trust her, so she said 2go with Mrs. McPhee – I think we will all be the
same soon.” She looked at Jay and said,
“what is this about?”
“My name is Jay Edwards – and we wish your father to
do some business with us. You – the
families – you are the encouragement for him to do that.”
“Steve picked this weekend to be away with Robert?”
“Thlmhhbhtht,” June mumbled as she felt the damp cloth
on her tongue.
“Indeed – so if you will put your hands behind your
back?”
Sometime later, Millie sat next to Chrissy, their
ankles and wrists secured and rolled up scarves between their lips, while Zoe
and Chloe sat with the other two girls, their wrists tied together in front of them,
and their ankles secured as they smiled over the cleave gags.
“Och look at the time,” Mrs. McPhee said as she turned
the television on, the screen slowly coming into focus as Carol Chell said,
“Ready to play?”
“It’s Friday, It’s five to five, and it’s
CRACKERJACK!”
“CHRCHKJHK!” the four girls shouted back as Jay untied
Karen’s ankles.
“You will stay with Mrs. McPhee,” she said to one of
the masked men, who nodded as the second one walked out with him and
Karen. They made their way to the
kitchen, as Jay said “you need to prepare food for everyone. If I untie your wrists and remove the gag,
will you remain quiet?” As Karen nodded,
he untied her wrists, Karen rubbing them as the scarf was removed from her
mouth.
“I don’t know why,” she said quietly as she looked Jay
in the eye, “but I trust you. We’ll do
as you say.”
“Good - I hope you have enough in for the whole
family.”
“Well, I think it will be oven chips and fish fingers
all round,” she said with a smile as she turned the oven on. “What happens after we eat?”
“Your husband should be home soon – you make it clear
he need sot do as we say,” Jay said as he sat down, “and in the meantime, we
make you, your daughters and daughter in law, and the girls comfortable – if
unable to raise the alarm. Be assured,
you will all be safe if you continue to do as we ask.”
Karen slowly nodded as she said, “I can find some
nightclothes for all of us as well – will you eat with us?”
“No – but thank you for the kind offer,” Jay said with
a smile.
“And will the rope still be that rough stuff?”
“No – we have something a bit more comfortable for
then…”
“Good…” She
walked to the refrigerator and removed various packages and boxes as she hummed
to herself.
“Thanks Gran,” Kelly said as she was handed a plate at
the dining table. The four girls were
sitting with their mothers as Mrs. McPhee and Karen gave them all some food,
before Karen took a seat, waiting as Jay bound some rope round her waist and
the chair back so that she was the same as the others.
“Well, eat up,” she said as she looked round the
table. “Mister Edwards has told me what
is going to happen later, and I promise you we will all be fine if we do as they
ask.”
“I’m home Karen.”
Jay put a finger to his lips as the door to the dining
room opened, and Albert Wells walked in, wearing the three-piece suit, shirt
and tie he wore to the bank, as well as the highly polished shoes. He took a look round the table, and said
“what’s going on?”
“Good evening, Mister Wells – my name is Jay Edwards.”
Albert turned and looked at the masked man, his face paling
as he said, “oh god – you!”
“Me – my friend Mrs. McPhee has taken very good care
of your granddaughters, and the other women have not been harmed. If you wish this to continue, you will do
what we say – understand?”
Albert slowly nodded as he put his hand on his balding
head. “I understand,” he said quietly,
“just don’t hurt them.”
“Excellent – why don’t you sit down, and I am sure Mrs.
McPhee can get you a nice cup of tea.
After that, would you head upstairs Mrs. McPhee, and set out what we
discussed?”
“Aye,” the masked woman said as she left the room,
Albert saying to Karen “how long?”
“All afternoon – we’re fine, even calm for some
reason, but please do what they say…”
“Well, at least we are full up,” Maisie said as she
looked at the other women.
“Agreed – what are you doing?”
“Making sure you ladies and Albert stay here,” Jay
said as the two masked men went round the table, securing the wrists of each of
them behind their backs and then to the chair backs as Mrs. McPhee said, “Richt
lassies – cum wi me ahn we’ll get ye all ready.”
“Go on – we’ll see you later,” June said as Kelly led
the girls out and up the stairs, while Jay said “so, this is what is going to
happen…”
“Richt,” Mrs. McPhee said as she stopped outside the
toilet, “anyone who needs tae go, go noo, ain at a time.”
One by one the girls went into the toilet, Chloe being
the last as the masked woman said “noo – in here and get into yer pajamas.” She opened a door, the four girls going into
the bedroom and seeing the four sets of flannelette pajamas on the bed.
“We’re going to be tied up in these?”
“Aye, tha’s richt,” Mrs. McPhee said as the girls
slowly stripped off their clothes, and then put on the pajamas. They all had a rose print on them, Kelly and
Zoe putting on cream ones, Jackie pink ones and Chloe grey ones. They then stood in a line as the masked woman
opened a large bag and took out lengths of white rope, walking behind each of
the girls and crossing their wrists behind their backs before she secured them
together.
“Now we’re like Mummy and Granny,” Jackie said, the
other girls nodding as Kelly watched Mrs. McPhee doubling over a longer length
of rope.
“What are you going to do with that, Mrs. McPhee?”
“Let me show ye,” Mrs. McPhee said as she wrapped the
rope round Kelly’s body and then pulled it tight, forcing her arms against her
sides as she took the rope round her body several times, forming one band round
her stomach and one round her upper arms.
She then fed the rope under one arm, up and around the back of her head as
she held her hair out of the way, and then under the other arm before she tied
the end off behind her.
“Wow – that looks strange,” Jackie said as she looked
at Kelly.
“I know – but it’s softer than that brown rope, and it
feels - nicer, more like a hug,” Kelly said as Zoe and Chloe walked over and
looked at her. Jackie then felt her arms
being forced against her sides, the ropes in the same way as Kelly as she found
her upper body immobilized.
“Well, I guess we’re stuck like this,” she giggled as
the two younger girls had their upper bodies secured as well, Mrs. McPhee
picking up the bag as she said “well, let’s go back ae the main room – ye can
hae a laff while yer muffers get ready.”
“Really? What?”
“Ye’ll see,” the masked woman said as they walked back
down and into the front room. They then
all sat on the long couch, watching as Mrs. McPhee took more ropes from the
bag, and one by one crossed and secured their ankles together, and then their legs
below their knees, the ropes going between their legs as they saw the cuffs of
their pajama bottoms under the bindings.
“Oh my god – are you girls all right?”
“We’re fine Gran,” Kelly said as Karen looked in with
Albert, “will our mothers join us soon?”
“I think we’re going to change and then join you – but
your grandfather wants to say something.”
“Girls,” Albert said quietly, “I have to go out soon,
but I want you to know you’re the bravest girls I know. Do as they say, and I’ll see you all later.”
“Okay grandpa,” Zoe and Chloe said as they wriggled
round, and Mrs. McPhee turned on the television.
“Goodies, Goodie Goodie yum yum…”
Albert and Karen walked up to the master bedroom with
Jay, the masked man saying as they walked in “I need you to change, Karen. Albert – repeat what you are going to do.”
As Karen went behind a screen, Albert said “I will go
with one of your men to my bank. I will
open the vault and the safe for him, and then he will ensure I cannot raise the
alarm. I do as you say, my family stay
safe.”
“Excellent – he will radio me every thirty minutes,”
Jay said quietly, “so I will be in constant touch with him. Ah – you are ready?”
Karen nodded as she stood wearing a sleeveless purple
nightdress, Jay walking behind her with a length of white rope in his hands
before he took her hands behind her back and secured her wrists together.
“You were right – this rope is softer.”
“That is a good thing?”
“Well, it won’t mark as much – and it will be tighter
I suspect,” Karen said with a laugh as Jay then passed the rope round her
waist, pulling it tight as Albert watched the bands forming, framing his wife’s
chest as her chest was forced out.
“Definitely a new look for you…”
“Not one I wish to try again – but it is not as bad as
I thought it would be,” Karen said as she felt the bands tighten, and then felt
Jay’s hands as he passed the rope up and round the back of her head. as he secured the ends behind her back, he
said “time to say goodbye to your husband while you can.”
“We’ll talk when this is all over,” Karen said, Albert
nodding as he gently kissed her, then watched as Jay tore a length of brown
sticking plaster from a roll and pressed it down firmly over her mouth.
“Shall we?”
“Hllghrls,” Karen said as she came in and sat
down. June, Chrissy and Maisie were all
standing in the room now, the other masked man taking June by the arm and
walking her out of the room.
“Mum…”
“Yer mammy will be jus fine,” Mrs. McPhee said as she
rubbed Kelly’s hair, Tim Brooke-Taylor standing in the oversized Scout hat as Karen
was sat in an armchair, Jay kneeling down and binding her ankles tightly
together, then her legs above her knees and over the skirt of the nightdress.
He stood up as they all heard the car drive off, and
the Goodies theme tune played.
“Time fer ye gahls tae be quiet,” Mrs. McPhee said as
she picked out of a bag a roll of brown sticking plaster and pressed a length
firmly but gently over the mouths of each of the girls. As she gagged Chloe, June came back in,
wearing a light peach coloured nightdress with elbow length sleeves, and a
skirt that came just over her knees. She
sat in the other armchair, the girls watching as Porridge started on the
television, and Chrissy was taken out of the room.
Jay used more sticking plaster over June’s mouth, and
a short while later Chrissy was brought back in. She was wearing a light pink sleeveless
nightdress, the same length as that June was wearing – and a few minutes later
she was sitting on one side of a smaller couch, her legs bound in the same way
as June with ropes round her ankles and her legs below her knees, brown
sticking plaster pressed down over her lips.
Millie was the last to reappear in a grey silk
nightdress with capped sleeves and a floor length skirt. Her legs were secured in the same way as
Karen, her mouth covered with the brown fabric so that all she could do was
mumble to the others.
“Ah luv Dennis Taylor,” Mrs. McPhee said as she turned
the channel dial to show BBC Two and Pot Black came on, the four women looking
at each other and noticing the girls slowly start to fall asleep.
“Hwwrrwehhlsthnhnhr,” June mumbled as she looked at
Jay.
“No – but let us make sure the girls are settled upstairs
first. Mrs. McPhee – will you watch the
ladies while I and my friend take care of that?”
“Aye,” Mrs. McPhee said as Jay and the other masked
man gently lifted Zoe and Chloe up, Maisie watching as they were carried out of
the room. A few minutes later, as Hurricane
Higgins hit the cue ball against the black, they both returned and then lifted
Kelly and Jackie up, June and Chrissy looking at her and Karen as they were
carried out.
“Thkmhthmhghls,” Maisie said as she twisted round.
“Of course,” Jay said as he lifted her in his arms,
Maisie feeling safe for some reason as he carried her up the stairs and into a
bedroom. There were two beds in the
room, and Maisie smiled under the Elastoplast gag as she saw Zoe and Chloe
lying facing each over on one of the beds, their eyes closed as she saw the
rope linking their ankles to the foot of the bed.
Jay gently laid Maisie down on the other bed and then
made sure she was on her side, looking at the bed as he pulled her ankles back
and then secured them to her chest ropes with a short length of white rope.
“We’ll check every few minutes,” he said, Maisie
nodding as she mumbled “fhnkuh” and watched him turn the light off. As he walked to the top of the stairs, he saw
his partner waking up with Chrissie in his arms.
He carried her to a second bedroom where she saw
Jackie on her side on one side of a double bed, her legs bent back, and her ankles
tied to her chest ropes in a loose hogtie.
The masked man laid Chrissie down facing her, a smile under the brown
fabric as she felt him pull her bound ankles back and then secure them to the
ropes round her chest.
“Fhnknuh” she mumbled, the masked man nodding as he
left the room and turned the light off.
“Acknowledged – make sure he is secured. Out,” Jay said as the man came back in, June
and Karen looking at them as she said, “will you take June up to be with her
daughter as well?”
The man nodded as he lifted June in his arms and
carried her out, Jay smiling as he said “your husband is doing what we need him
to do, Karen – we are going to secure you down here. Do you think you can get over o where the
girls were sitting?”
“Hguhchnhlpmh.”
Mrs. McPhee nodded as she helped Karen to hop over to
the couch and then lie on her stomach, pulling her ankles back and securing
them to her chest ropes before she rolled onto her side. She watched Jay and Mrs. McPhee as they
cleared the extra ropes and other items into their bags, unable to stop her
eyes slowly closing…
IT was the low mumbling mixed with the birdsong that
made Karen wake up. The sunlight was
trying to come through the closed curtains, but she was unable to move or speak
still.
She eventually realized the sounds were coming from
upstairs, and she realized it was her daughters, her family – but they had not
come down, which suggested they were in the same predicament as her. The radio was still playing, as she heard Ed
Stewart start to speak.
“KAREN!”
“HNHRRRR” she shouted as she heard the front door
open, and then saw Albert at the door with two policemen behind him. He ran in and peeled the brown fabric away
from her mouth, Karen gasping as she said “the others… Upstairs…”
“Go,” one of the policemen said as he second one ran
out, more officers coming in as Albert held her…
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