The Front (16 page)

       
‘SUZIE!’ Mal yelled again. ‘Get your arse in here!’

       
With a sigh, she went to see what he wanted.

       
‘About bleedin’ time!’ he snarled when she came in.

       
‘Sorry. I didn’t hear you.’

       
‘Clean your ears out, then,’ he snapped. Then, nodding towards the kitchen, he said, ‘Ged needs milk. Go and get some, and don’t take all day about it.’

       
‘Here,’ Lee piped up, raising his head gingerly from the cushion. ‘She can check for my gun while she’s there, innit?’

       
‘Good idea,’ Mal said. He turned back to Suzie. ‘If you hurry up, you might still make it before the pigs.’

       
‘Don’t be stupid,’ Ged said, coming to stand in the doorway. ‘It’s gone seven. They’ll have well sussed it out by now.’

       
Mal shrugged. ‘So? She can still have a mooch.’

       
Ged stared at him in disbelief. ‘You really are an arsehole, aren’t you? First you send her to get your mask, then back to check on Lee because you didn’t want to risk it . . . and now a gun! A gun you weren’t even supposed to have! Well, I’ve had it! I’m off.’ He stomped across the room to grab his jacket, a scowl of pure disgust on his face.

       
Mal watched him with a smirk. ‘See that little old woman what’s fighting to get out of you?’ he said. ‘Well, I’d watch it if I was you, ’cos she’s winning! When d’y’ start the knitting classes?’

       
Ged shot him a bad look, but Mal shrugged it off. Now he was properly awake, he was beginning to remember his good fortune, and that made him too happy to argue.

       
‘Chill out, dickhead!’ he laughed, rolling his eyes. ‘All right, you win. She don’t have to look for the gun. But she can still go for milk – if that’s all right with you? Aw, come on, man,’ he went on when Ged didn’t answer. ‘Don’t take off now. We ain’t even started celebratin’ yet!’

       
‘Okay,’ Ged grunted, sitting back down. ‘But I’m telling you, man. You’ve got to stop treating that girl like shit, ’cos it’s pissing me off.’

       
Sam was woken by their voices. ‘God, my head’s splitting,’ he groaned. ‘You got any tablets, Mal?’

       
‘Think yours is bad?’ Lee said, tapping two fingers gently along the neat line of stitches throbbing painfully beneath the bandage. ‘You wanna feel mine. It’s mashed. I’ll need a whole bottle of pills to sort this out!’

       
Mal shook his head in despair. ‘Listen to youse, y’ pair of demics! You don’t want pills, you want some Charlie!’ Standing up, he stretched. ‘Right. I’m getting changed, then I’m off to the coke shop.’

       
‘Can I use the phone?’ Ged asked. He had planned to wait till evening before he called his daughter, but he couldn’t wait. If he called now he’d catch her before she went to school.

       
‘Use it . . .’ Mal spread his arms wide. ‘Shit, keep it if you want! I’m so fucking rich, I’ll buy another while I’m out!’

       
With that, he grabbed his jacket from behind the door and trotted out of the room, high on life.

       
Ged tapped out his old number like second nature – which just about said it all, he thought. Old habits die hard – even the crappy ones. Like hanging about with these tossers just because they’d been to school together.

       
Lee clutched at his head when the front door banged shut behind Mal. ‘Me head’s busting!’ he moaned. ‘I think I’m dying.’

       
‘I’ve got two aspirins left,’ Suzie said, coming through from the bedroom. ‘You can have them if you want.’

       
‘I need more than that,’ Lee moaned.

       
‘I’ll get some more at the shops,’ she said, pulling her coat on and going to get her purse from the kitchen drawer. ‘Does anyone else want anything?’

       
‘You can get me twenty cigs,’ Ged said, sticking the still-ringing phone under his chin so he could root through his pocket for change.

       
‘Will you be long, Ged?’ Sam asked. ‘I’d better try Louise again. Let her know about Wendy before she thinks we’ve abandoned her.’

       
Suzie smiled as she remembered the good news – the only good news – of the night before. ‘Oh, yeah, Sam,’ she said. ‘I meant to say congratulations, but it was a bit hectic this morning. Will you be going to see her later?’

       
‘Yeah,’ Sam said. ‘You’ll be coming, won’t you?’

       
‘Course,’ she smiled. ‘I wouldn’t miss it. Won’t be long.’ Waving, she left.

       
‘Hello?’ Ged said when the phone was finally answered. Hearing his daughter’s voice, he smiled – relieved that it wasn’t her mother. ‘Hiya, sweetheart. You all right? Yeah, look, I’m glad I caught you. I want to see you. No, not now. Later  . . .’

Mal had taken Lee’s car, cutting his journey down from fifteen minutes to five. Now he was in Stevo’s living room, the corners of his mouth twitching in amusement as he pulled his wad out and saw Stevo’s jaw drop to his knees.

       
He leafed through the notes, slowly, deliciously, all the time watching Stevo from the corner of his eye. Like all the other Scots Mal had ever met, Stevo was usually an arrogant shite. But not today. The guy was practically drooling. Mal chuckled softly as he imagined the pound signs dinging round and round in Stevo’s eyes like a cartoon.

       
‘How much ye after?’ Stevo asked, his voice husky with money lust.

       
‘How much you got?’ Mal asked nonchalantly. ‘I might want a fair bit this time. Depending what it is, like.’

       
‘I’ve got some top gear,’ Stevo said. ‘It’s the best! Just let me know how much, and I’ll see what I’ve got left. Been going like hot cakes, this stuff  . . .’

       
‘Yeah, yeah,’ Mal drawled, looking at Stevo with contempt. ‘It’s always the best, innit? Don’t be taking me for a mug, Stevo. You’re not the only dealer around, you know. And I might be in the market for a big score, so you’d better treat me good.’

       
Stevo held his hands out. ‘Mal – I’m offended, mate. Have I ever treated ye any way but good, eh?’

       
Mal smirked. It felt good being in control. Sauntering across to Stevo’s grotty old couch, he plonked himself down, casually crossing his legs. This was the life. Stevo had never been so willing to please. He usually couldn’t wait to get him out the door. But not today. Now he’d realized Mal was a serious buying prospect he was falling all over himself.

       
‘I don’t want to rush ye, pal,’ Stevo said suddenly, interrupting Mal’s little daydream of power. ‘But I’ve got someone coming round, and it’s a wee bit delicate, like.’

       
‘So what you sayin’?’ Mal’s voice was flat. ‘You want me gone, is that it?’ Half rising, he began to repocket the money. ‘ ’Cos if me money’s not good enough to get you to treat me with respect, I’ll—’

       
‘No!’ Stevo held his hands up quickly, his eyes swivelling furtively as he considered how best to get rid of Mal and at the same time get him to leave the wad of dosh behind. He badly needed it to pay his own dealer off. He was due any minute and he’d kick off good-style if Mal was still here.

       
‘Look, Mal,’ he said after a minute. ‘I can get ye any amount ye want. Just let me know what ye need and it’s yours. But just now, I’m no being funny, but y’ cannae hang about. Y’understand, don’t ye?’

       
‘So what have you got on you right now?’ Mal asked coolly.

       
Stevo jumped up and pulled his last bag out of his pocket. Inside this there were four tenner bags. His dealer would be bringing more, but he wouldn’t leave it unless Stevo had the money he owed for the last lot – which he didn’t. But Mal did.

       
‘Look, this is all I’ve got,’ he said. ‘I know ye want more, so I’ll do ye a favour . . .’ He dangled the bags from his fingers so Mal could see the white powder through the plastic. As he expected, Mal’s eyes lit up.
A proper coke-fiend!
Stevo grinned inwardly. This should be easy.

       
‘As y’ know,’ he went on, as sincerely as possible, ‘I don’t normally deliver. But for ye, mate, I’ll make an exception. What y’ after altogether? A quarter? Half?’

       
Mal eyed the bags greedily. ‘Depends how much you’re asking for it.’

       
Stevo did a quick calculation and said, ‘I’ll let you have a quarter for five.’

       
Mal nodded slowly, ticking it over. ‘Sounds okay. How much off for a half?’

       
‘Aw, come on,’ Stevo moaned. ‘I cannae go any lower than that. I’ve already knocked thirty offa the quarter, an’ that’s ma absolute rock bottom – I won’t make a single penny at that price!’ He paused, considering his next words carefully. ‘Only thing is, I haven’t got it all here anyhow, see. So what I’ll have to do is take the money off y’ now, and bring the whole lot round to ye later.’

       
‘You what?’ Mal stared at him incredulously. ‘You reckon I’m gonna leave a grand with you and trust you to bring me the stuff? You must think I’m off my bleedin’ head, mate!’

       
‘Aw, come on,’ Stevo whined. ‘I’ve never ripped y’ off, have I? I always give ye good deals. And, look.’ He shook the bags temptingly. ‘You can take these now, and I’ll only charge ye half for them. Can’t say fairer than that, can I?’

       
Stevo fidgeted nervously as Mal took his time thinking it over. Glancing nervously at the clock, he saw it was nearly time. He had to get Mal out – quick.

       
‘Look, ye can have these for nothing if y’ leave the money!’ He thrust the four bags at Mal. ‘But y’ gonna have to go. Take it or leave it. What d’y’ say?’

       
Mal snatched the bags with a grin. ‘All right, you’re on. But I want a good half. None of your bicarb specials, know what I mean? I want the real deal, man, or I won’t be pleased.’

       
‘Y’ve got it,’ Stevo agreed with relief. ‘Only top notch for ye, mate. Just the matter of the upfront, like  . . .?’

       
Mal counted off a grand and handed it across reluctantly. ‘I’m telling you, Stevo,’ he warned. ‘Any funny shit and I’ll have your balls!’

       
‘Aye, nay worries,’ Stevo said. And, grabbing the money before Mal could change his mind, he hustled him out the door.

       
Mal shook his head as the door slammed to behind him. What an arsehole. Still, he had four nice little bags for nothing. He couldn’t complain. That’d do till Stevo brought the rest round.

       
A grand’s worth of pure! He could cut it to fuck and triple the buying price easy!

       
Turning from the door he almost ran headlong into a tall black guy.

       
‘Sorry, mate,’ he muttered, sidestepping to let him pass.

       
The man sucked his teeth, glaring down on Mal as he shouldered past. Mal didn’t retaliate – the guy was way too big. Instead, he walked on, looking back with a sneer before turning the corner. Who did he think he was in his long leather coat? Shaft?

Humming happily, Ged’s daughter ran up to her bedroom to get dressed. She’d been feeling quite low before her father had phoned but she’d cheered up immediately when he’d said he had something for her. She hoped it was money. It had
better
be money. There was a lovely little dress she had her eye on in town. A silver strapless, clingy number. Great for going out in – really sexy and sophisticated. Alison would be dead jealous.

       
Oh, what a nice daddy. And such a pushover.

       
No, daddy, I’m not in school today. It’s teacher-training day. I can meet you any time. An hour? That’d be great!

       
Taking a rarely worn polo-neck jumper from her drawer, she pulled it on – wincing as she struggled to get it over her tender breasts. When it was on, she turned to look in the mirror, and was pleased by what she saw. They were getting big, and they were lovely and firm. No wonder her mum was always telling her to cover them up, she thought, smiling slyly. Jealous old bat! Just because
her
body had turned to lard.

       
Throwing her waist-length hair back, she secured it with a couple of sparkly clips – the girlie effect, to please Daddy. And the same with her make-up – just a hint of pink gloss on her lips and a fresh swipe of mascara on her lashes. It wouldn’t do to upset him with her usual full-on look. He might just change his mind about the present, and that would be a total pisser!

       
Finished at last, she wriggled into her Levis and posed for the mirror. Pouting her lips, she looked up through spider-leg lashes. Gorgeous! Blowing herself a Monroe kiss, she dragged herself away from her reflection and checked the time.

       
Seven forty-five. Good. She had just enough time for a spliff before setting off.

9

Suzie saw the army of vehicles blocking the road as soon as she rounded the bend. Even from this distance, some two hundred yards away, the noise was deafening. She’d expected the police, but the TV crew took her completely by surprise. They were milling about like ants, shifting tall lights into different positions, putting up screens on stands to deflect the glare, and swinging fluffy microphones in great arcs above the crowd.

       
There was so much activity, she had to force herself to keep going. It would be stupid to run. Anyway, under normal circumstances, she’d be one of the first to gawp at something like this. As it was, there was a fair-sized crowd already gathered on the pavement, and more spilling over onto the road – local people, craning their necks to see beyond the line of police guarding the strips of blue-and-white tape separating them from the crime scene. There was a buzz in the air – everyone thrilled that yet another awful thing had happened, but disappointed not to have witnessed it.