The Driver

The taxi driver beeped the horn impatiently. He’d been working 9 hours, another 3am shift and this was his last fare before he went home to his one bedroom flat to a meal of cold pizza and warm beer before eventually falling asleep to a rerun of some Jean Claude Van Damme film he wasn’t really watching.

He was meant to have finished his shift an hour ago, but dispatch had called in asking him to do one last job. He'd been working extra shifts to try and put some money aside to pay for his Mom's medical bills. She'd been ill lately and the cost of the hospital was taking a strain on her pension.

The job was out of the way of his normal route, but he was told the client had paid in advance and it was quite lucrative.

The woman exited the house, pulled the door behind her and picked up her suitcase.

She was tall and slim with dark brown hair done up in a bob. She wore a nondescript dark blue pant-suit and dark red lipstick which showed up against her pale skin.

It was raining, had been for days now, yet she did not seem to care as she walked down the steps toward the waiting car.

She entered the taxi, placing her luggage beside her. She muttered an address a few miles down the road and then went quiet.

The woman sat in silence, gazing out of the window, seemingly lost in her own world. The driver glanced at her in the mirror hoping to see into her eyes what she was thinking. He felt like recognised her from somewhere but couldn't quite place where. The thought faded as he turned back to the road.

As the taxi made its way through the city streets, the buildings blended into each other in a blur of concrete and steel, the rain bouncing off the window and the neon lights occasionally lighting the interior of the car.

As the miles passed, the driver couldn’t help but wonder who she was and where she was going on such a night. The questions swirled in his mind, desperately he wanted to ask but he kept quiet, choosing instead to merely tap the wheel in time with the steady rhythm of the cascading rain.

The driver pulled to a stop at the side of a residential street, it was dark now and only the dim glow of street lights provided any solace from the dark night. The woman got out of the car, murmured a quiet “thanks” and then she vanished, disappearing into the night without a trace.

Should he have made sure she got where she was going safely? She’d gone before he could even have asked, there was nothing else he could have done.

His mind faltered, back to the cold pizza and warm beer that waited for him back home. His job was done, his night was over. He tapped the indicator and pulled out back into the night.

Suddenly, he heard a noise from the street behind. A gun shot? No, surely not. But what if? No, it couldn't be. Maybe some dogs knocked over some bins.

He stopped. His indicator still flashing. In his mind flashed an image of the woman. It wasn't his concern was it? He was just a taxi driver. He didn't need to get involved, and yet he found himself turning the engine off. Opening his door and walking towards a house.

The house itself was quite unremarkable, a small nondescript town house that screamed classic Americana. A flagpole hung to the right of the door, long since missing a flag. There were no lights on in the house, but it was early morning, nearly 3:30 last he'd checked so not surprising.

The rest of the street was quiet too. Pristinely kept lawns sat next to overgrown gardens with balls and children's bikes. Typical suburbia.

He stopped, listening again. No noise. Nothing. It was quiet. Eerily so.

He was about to give up and walk back to the car when something caught his eye. The front door to the house was ajar. He thought again. Was this house she'd gone into? He didn't actually see her enter the house, but this was the address she'd given.

The rain was starting to creep down his neck, and chilling him to the core. He had to make a decision. What was he going to do? He'd made it this far so he took a deep breath and walked up the steps towards the house. He pulled out his phone and turned on the torch. Slowly pushing the door open. “Hello” he shouted with a hint of nerves in his voice. No answer.

He opened the door fully and walked into the hall. To the right was a large open plan lounge area, he slowly peeked his head around the door and saw, what would be expected, a typical family home.

Straight ahead was a kitchen area, which he could see was empty, so turning back on himself he started to walk towards the stairs. A floorboard creaked and he stopped. He made his way up to the top landing. One bedroom to the immediate left, a bathroom to the right and two bedrooms ahead of him.

Tentatively, he looked into the bedroom on the right and to his horror he saw her. There lying across the bed was the woman. Blood surrounded her, dripping and soaking into the shag-pile which was turning from cream into a dark red.

The driver began to panic. This wasn't what he'd signed up for! But could he just leave her now? His fingerprints were on the door handle and bannister. How could he have been so stupid. He should have left the damned woman alone.

He fumbled for his phone. Dialled 911 and waited for the operator and asked for the police. He gave

the address but as he did, he heard an ever so slight click on the call. A very slight pause and then another voice interrupted the operator “she is dead?” Confused he replied “ yes?” with a hint of uncertainty in his voice. “and the package?” The driver was starting to panic. Package? What package? What the hell was going on? The voice came again “Is the package there?” Looking around he saw the suitcase on the floor next to the bed and without thinking uttered a meek “Yes”.

Silence, and then “ Good. The cleaner will be round shortly. You are no longer required. This call is terminated” the call went dead. An even deeper silence fell over the house.

The driver turned on his heels and rushed downstairs. To hell with this. He took the stairs two at a time and wrenched open the door. Looking out onto the street he saw a patrol car parked in front of his taxi and an officer getting out of the car. What the hell had he gotten himself into?