Touch

The evening with Jane and Phil has gone pretty much as I'd expected although discovering quite how kinky they both were was a surprise. It had come as a surprise to both of them too. It's amazing what people conceal in their heads and I wondered if the revelation that they shared complementary desires might help reinvigorate their marriage. Obviously only time would tell but Phil had discovered his wife loved sex with strangers and she had discovered he loved watching her have it. Judging by the noises I'd heard as I left they'd probably be a bit tired tomorrow.

It was still early so after a shower I put on a film on the tv, handily it was connected to Phil and Jane's satellite service, so I settled down to a couple of hours of suspending my brain with a cup of tea. Just as the main character had found the first body of the film my phone buzzed. Then it buzzed again. Two messages had arrived, which as a grand total of four people knew the number, must be some sort of record. In my life prior to the accident it would have been a bit odd too.

Looking at the phone the first message was somewhat unwelcome as it was from Sara, my wife, who I was planning to make a widow if I could work out a way of disappearing. I realised that would leave her with my life insurance and pension but I didn't think cash was ever going to be an issue for me again so she and the bloke she'd been having an affair with were welcome to it. I opened the message and read. "You need to be here in the morning, some policemen called and they want to interview you again."

"Fuck!" I exclaimed. I was hoping I'd have had a few more days to prepare but there wasn't anything I could do about it. "Ok, I'll be in an hour leave the back door open." I typed and hit send.

I opened the second message which was from Emma, the druggie I'd decided to help. "Feeling better, counted the money in the bag, you have just over £74,000 in there." Now that was much better news although I had the same issue as the drug dealers I'd stolen it from as there was no way I could just spend that amount of money. Once I had a new identity I would be able to open a bank account but various laws meant the banks would report deposits over a few thousand leaving me exposed to scrutiny. I'd have to think about that.

I replied to Emma, "That's not bad, keep a few hundred for any expenses and keep the bag shut. Glad you're feeling better. Do you need anything?"

A few seconds later a reply came through. "Not really, will you be coming anytime soon?"

I thought about it and decided if I could I should be able to go round that afternoon so sent, "Probably tomorrow, will let you know times later."

Well there wasn't any point in hanging around now so I collected some clothes together in a rucksack. Picked up my helmet and bike jacket and went to the door to Jane's kitchen. I went in and wrote a quick note explaining I wasn't likely to be around tomorrow and left for "my" bike. Riding round the streets at night was pleasant but being winter was bloody freezing and I was grateful when I got to the bus stop Jane had originally picked me up from. I rode the bike gingerly into the woodland, as road tyres and sports bike power don't mix well with mud, and parked the bike out of sight on its centre stand. A quick walk and through the gate in my garden then into the house and warmth.

Sara was sat watching tv when I came in and turned with a concerned look on her face which only slightly lessened when she realised it was me. She took in the bike jacket and helmet and said "Are you riding a bike again? You know I hate those things."

That rather pissed me off so I said evenly, "Your opinions of what I do or don't do no longer count. So don't bother mentioning it again." This was the thing with this new ability, she actually shut up. "Did the police give you a time for their visit tomorrow?" I asked

She turned her head to the side considering and replied, "I think they're coming around early morning, I did say you get quite tired quickly so that would be the best time."

That wasn't a bad idea of hers really so I smiled and replied. "Ok, that's good thinking." I thought for a moment longer but couldn't think of anything else to say to her and I didn't want to be in the same room so I just said. "I'm going to bed now, I'll sleep in the spare room, don't disturb me." Then left the front room and went to bed.

The next morning I woke early so that I had time to prepare for the visit. I didn't bother showering or shaving and picked out a crumpled grey track suit to wear. Anything that made it look like I was not in the best of health. I knew I could just make the interview go anyway I wanted but a prop can make the act easier. After checking my appearance in a mirror and a quick breakfast I joined Sara in the front room waiting. "So what are your plans with Richard then?" I asked neutrally.

She looked a bit startled but smiled back at me and said. "Well now that you and I will be separating we were thinking of moving in together."

I just nodded at this. To be honest I wasn't at all concerned and as soon as I could break ties with her I would without looking back. With my plans to fake my death she'd get the house but there no point in being vindictive. Just a few days of exploration of my ability and I'd had more fun than I'd had in years. "Seems reasonable, don't worry I'm not going to stand in your way or make life difficult. We can go for a 50:50 split on the divorce and just do it without any dirty laundry being dragged up." I'd decided I wasn't going to let her know anything about my future plans in case my control of her wore off without me being around.

She beamed at the idea of a amicable split but before she could reply the door bell rang. "That'll be the police, I'll let them in for you."

I sat back and tried my best to look like someone needing gentle handling because of illness. I suspect it wasn't that effect but I thought I'd give it a go. Again the police officers who came in looked more like soldiers in suits and I doubted they spent much time chasing local car thieves. But I waited to find out what was going on.

They introduced themselves as detective inspectors which rather indicated how seriously this was being taken. I insisted on shaking their hands and was rewarded with the reassurance I could make any difficulty go away. I was led once again through the incident as they called it and many notes were taken.

After they finished reliving the incident with me the older DI asked. "Do you have any questions or anything you haven't mentioned so far?"

"I'm afraid not, but both of you can help me with something by answering honestly , are you recording this?" I asked.

"No, we're not recording." The older DI replied.

Just in case I added. "Is anyone else recording?" Both shook there heads at this. Which was more reassuring. "Is anyone keeping an eye on me?"

Again it was the older detective who replied. "We're not, our interest in you is purely as a witness." Which didn't sound too bad however he carried on. "But there is interest in you from some research groups and they'll be following your progress closely."

Well not as bad as I thought but if anyone got a hint of my abilities I would be in trouble. "Ok, I want you to email me the investigation notes about the incident and any developments to this email address. Don't let anyone know you're doing it and do it in a way that won't get you caught." I passed him a piece of paper with a email address on it and he nodded. "Ok I assume the interview is over?" They both nodded in acquiescence so I carried on. "That's it then, you won't remember this chat and you'll both have an impression of me as looking pretty old and haggard from my experience." With that they both stood and said their goodbyes and left.

Sara came back into the room shortly after she'd shown them out and handed me a cup of tea as she sat down. I looked at her and said. "Well that wasn't too bad, I'll get changed and be out of your way in a minute." I'decided to start the ball rolling on my disappearance plans so I gave Sara some instructions. "I want you to find a small fishing company around Cornwall and book me a surprise fishing trip." She looked puzzled at this so I explained, "you're also going to book a weekend away for us in a cottage in Cornwall as soon as possible. Don't worry it's just for show and we can sort separation stuff after. The fishing trip for me is because I've always wanted to try fishing and you think it'll be a nice surprise."

She nodded happily at that and said "Ok, I'll see what I can find."

"This weekend if possible." I emphasised. Putting down my tea I said "I'll be off then, text me the arrangements and we can drive down Friday." I left her to it. She enjoyed making plans for trips so I knew she'd find somewhere decent to stay. The fishing trip as something I wasn't planning on returning from, or actually going on at all.

After a few minutes I was washed, changed and on my way out of the back door. It was a bright, crisp winters day so I decided to head to town and see how Emma was doing before doing anything else. I also planned on picking up some books and checking a thought I had on some financial plans for the future as well as my future address. So really my plans for the day were pretty vague and I entertained the idea of just seeing what happened.

I enjoyed the bike ride to the hotel. The rapid acceleration and ease of slipping through traffic reminded me why I loved motorbikes and I wished I'd never stopped riding them. Very quickly, despite the heavy traffic, I was outside the hotel in the car park putting the bike on the side stand. I left the helmet on the bike and walked in, And, acknowledging the receptionist with a nod I headed up the stairs. A few seconds later I was knocking on Emma's door.

When the door opened I was shocked by Emma's appearance. She stood there beaming happily at me with a normal clear complexion, no dark circles under her eyes and no hint of feeling unwell. Whatever I'd done the day before had certainly worked. "Hello you, you're looking happy, are you feeling better?"

She waved me in and almost bounced onto the bed where she sat with her legs crossed leaning forward. She was dressed in a huge t shirt and skinny jeans and just looked healthy was the only way I could describe it. "I feel great!" She said with a broad smile. "I haven't felt good like this in years and certainly never when I've stopped the drugs." She carried on smiling and said "Look at this." She thrust out her arms and displayed them to me. I must admit to being thick at this point and my puzzled expression gave the game away as she sighed and said. "I've got no marks!"

"Bloody hell, they've gone." I said quietly. This ability was much more than I expected. "That's fabulous , and you're feeling good too?"

In reply she bounced up and down on the bed and almost shouted as she through herself back on the bed "I feel amazing!" She propped herself into a semi reclined position on her elbows and smiled. She looked radiant. Much more like a 20 year old woman than the shambling wreck I was used to.

I smiled at her and decided to include her in my plans for the day. Anyway I didn't think the room could contain her energy much longer. "Look I've got a few things to do around town, why don't you come with me and we can do some shopping because I doubt the clothes I picked yesterday are to your taste?"

She replied with another big smile "That'd be amazing. But I've got no money..." she tailed off.

I figured she thought I was doing this to get her into bed so I reassured her. "I know, it's on me. We can pick up some tickets for you to go back to your sisters whilst we're out. Do you want to go today?" I figured she looked as if she needed to get on with her life and was rewarded with a broad smile.

"I'd love too, what about this stuff and the room." She said indicating the clothes we'd picked up yesterday in some bags by the wardrobe.

"Don't worry about it, I'll sort it to a charity shop or something and I'll use the room as a base for a few days." I was planning on the hoof but having a room in someone else's name would be useful for a while. I handed her another bag and she quickly sorted clothes into two piles. Those that she was keeping and those she was leaving. The ones she was keeping she packed in a bag and the rest were folded into a neat pile on the bed.

To my surprise after that she turned to me and handed me the tablets we'd gotten from the GP the day before. "I don't need these," she explained, "I only took that one yesterday and I haven't needed or wanted them since." So more confirmation that I could really influence people's bodies as well as their actions. That was certainly filed away.

"So you're ready for a bit of retail therapy then?" I asked and she answered by picking up her bag and running to the door. As we left I picked up the rucksack with cash and asked, "So you think your sister will be pleased to see you then?"

"Oh, definitely. She keeps leaving email plea's to return and get clean most weeks. This is going to really really be fantastic when I come home!"

I smiled at her obvious enthusiasm and hoped she was right. I got the hotel receptionist to get us a taxi and asked her to get the room cleaned and dispose of the contents at any charity she supported. After a few minutes waiting for a taxi we were rapidly at the train station. I purchased her ticket and we left both bags in a locker before getting back in the taxi to go shop. We had a few hours before her train so picking up another bag I let her loose in the shops. The retail therapy wasn't particularly arduous as I both had more cash than I needed and Emma chose what she liked and bought it without any faff. Eventually deciding she'd got enough clothes to last a few months we went shopping for some technology. Quite a lot of money later we both had new high end phones and I had a laptop too. I gave Emma the number of my new phone as I would dispose of the one I was using now and she simply swapped her SIM card keeping the same number. Feeling that we'd done enough we went for some lunch. A cafe by the side of the canal near some narrow boats for sale was chosen for the view and menu.

"What do you think of those then?" I asked Emma as we ate.

"I love them, my sister lives by the canal and I always wanted to travel on one but never did." She looked a little sad at that but immediately perked up and said. "Well now I can, I think I'll persuade sis to go for a trip on one."

"Well if I pass your house I'll wave at you." I said playfully.

She smiled and replied. "You'd better, do you have one then?"

"Not yet, but I'm thinking it's a good way to travel around for a bit so do you fancy having a look after lunch?"

She nodded enthusiastically at it was all I could do to get her to eat the rest of her meal she so wanted to get onto a boat. Just then my phone vibrated and checking it was a text from Jane. "Very tired at work today but very very satisfied. Will you be home later?"

I typed out a brief reply "Yes - any problems or all ok?"

Almost instantaneously the reply came back. "No problems, but would like some opinions on some pictures."

I wondered what that was about but decided to work it out later. In the mean time Emma had left the cafe as I was texting and paying the bill and was standing by a narrow boat for sale. By the time I'd crossed the road to her she'd found the owner and was talking about canal boat living as I joined them. "Hi there." I said to join in and they both turned to me.

Emma was almost jumping and introduced me to the narrow boats owner called James and we shook hands. The next 30 minutes passed rapidly as James showed us round his boat which he done out in a modern style with a double bed at the front, bathroom and kitchen to the middle and a lounge at the rear. It was exactly what I had in mind so I put a deposit on the boat in the name I would be using with my new identity. I arranged with James that I would complete the purchase after the engine had been serviced, the hull blacked and a couple of minor repairs done. James would text as soon as all these had been done in the next few days. Because of my abilities I knew they'd be sorted and dragged Emma away. We had only about half an hour to get to the station for her train so getting a taxi we headed straight there.

This was the first time today I'd seen her look sad but her mood seemed to drop as we headed to the station and collected our bags. I was a little worried she may be feeling some withdrawal. As we walked in I asked, "You ok? You seem a bit down."

"I am a bit honestly." She stated and continued. "It's just been a great day, I haven't had fun for ages and I'm just sad I haven't got to know you better."

That was a relief but also quite nice. "Look, keep an eye out on the canal and I'll pass by soonish and you've got my new number, if you need me you can call." She threw her arms around me and hugged me and I whispered in her ear. "I've put an envelope in the bag to give you a start." As she pulled out of the hug she smiled and I said. "Now get on that train. Let me know you're ok later."

She didn't reply but lifted her head up and kissed me with tears on her face then turned and went through the turnstile to her train. I decided I wasn't good at goodbyes either and went back to the taxi rank as I had some more work to do that afternoon. Hopefully the envelope with several thousand pounds would keep Emma going till she sorted out what she wanted to do so I felt I'd given something back to society there.

I got the taxi to take me to an area of the city with lots of office blocks. One of the major uk banks has a massive presence here and I had an idea that would sort any money issues for my new identity. I wandered over to a nearby coffee shop and waited for someone to come in who wore a bank lanyard. I didn't have to wait long as a harassed looking young man walked in and placed an order for several coffees. I walked over to the counter ostensibly to get some sugar and made sure to brush his hand.

I waited for a second or two and then said, "Hi I'm Simon, who're you?"

He shook his head then said "John."

"Hello John listen to me, I need to speak to someone with authority to create new accounts who doesn't need to check with the computer algorithm before doing anything."

He looked blank for a second then said, "That'd be Melanie Andrews in account management, she's got access rights to everything."

I smiled and said "Thanks John. Have a good day." I left him to sort his coffee and went over to the bank's entrance. This wasn't a building used to serve customers it was a major office controlling the banks operations. The lobby was huge with imposing columns on marble floors decorated in what I can only call "more fucking money than taste" style which left me cold. I noted the reception area and walked over.

"Hello." I smiled pleasantly at the receptionist and said "I need to see Melanie Andrews in Account Management, she's not expecting me." I reached into a pocket and retrieved a note pad and pen. Replaying the dropped pen play I'd used before I managed to briefly touch the receptionists fingers as we both tried to stop the rolling pen I'd fumbled onto her desk.

The receptionist looked confused for a second then said, "I'm afraid without an appointment she won't see you, I can contact her secretary to see if she can fit you in?"

I considered for a moment and told the receptionist to contact her secretary but to get her to come down to arrange the appointment. I left her to explain why this was necessary and went to a seating area to wait. A few moments later a harassed lady appeared and was directed over.