Heroin Annie by Peter Corris Page B

plastic pockets rippled out like a snake.
    â€˜Hip belt’, Doc said. ‘Good one. Annie said thirty grand, that right?’
    Hendrick nodded and Doc went out of the room. When he came back he was carrying a manila envelope which he handed to Hendrick. Annie watched fascinated; maybe she was still hoping that her deal would go through, but it must have been a faint hope. Hendrick wasn't acting; he counted the money carefully and put it away in an inside pocket. He had no particular expression for thirty grand just as he had no particular expression for tit-grabbing; I wondered what he did for fun.
    â€˜This is a nice place, Doc. Had it long?’
    Doc shrugged; he was looking uneasy and Dean was shifting his feet like a boxer about to start punching.
    â€˜What about a drink?’ Hendrick moved towards the bottles and then suddenly darted right and picked up Dean's gun. He had the safety off and the thing on full cock in one smooth movement, the way they train them to do where he came from. Our host looked worried for a minute, but his expression changed when Hendrick pointed the gun at me.
    â€˜You know, Doc’, he said, ‘you shouldn't deal with fly-by-nighters like this. Could get you into trouble. Is his stuff good?’
    â€˜The best’, Doc said.
    â€˜Is it now? Well, I just might take him and it into custody and do myself some good.’ He lifted the .45 a fraction. ‘You wouldn't object, Doc?’
    Doc licked his lips; there was reluctance in his face, greed as well, but they both had fear to contend with. He let the plastic belt slide in his hands. ‘No, Henk’, he said. ‘Be my guest. Nothing rough here though.’
    â€˜Of course not.’ He moved up to me and put the muzzle of the .45 under the point of my chin.
    â€˜Where is it?’ This was what he did for kicks; he pronounced the ‘where’ like ‘vair’ and there was a big, blue vein standing out under the pink skin of his temple.
    â€˜No rough stuff here, Henk’, I said.
    He brought his knee up accurately and I went down with that feeling of pain and violation rolling through my body. As I hit the floor I felt the gun bite into my back and I had the consoling thought that I might get a chance to shoot him where he'd placed his knee. I lay there blinking as the spasms shot through me. My wallet was in the top pocket of the denim jacket I was wearing and he bent down and lifted it out. He looked through the contents letting them drop to the floor one by one. There was only money, driver's licence and stray papers. I contemplated an attack from below but the gun in his hand was nicely directed and rock steady.
    â€˜Clifford somebody; nobody.’ He dropped the last paper disdainfully like an ice cream wrapper.
    I sat up, controlling the pain and gathered the things from the wallet. I was about to put them back when Hendrick stood on my left hand. He bore down on it with all sixteen stone, and I screamed.
    â€˜Where?’
    I shook my head. He swung his other foot at my head; I rolled away from it a bit but he connected near my ear. I felt skin tear and bones click, and there was a roaring sound getting closer. The warmth on the side of my face and neck was my blood.
    â€˜Now, Henk’, Doc said.
    â€˜Shut up! How'd he get here?’
    â€˜Sam brought him’, Dean said. ‘He said he knew Annie.’
    Hendrick looked at Sam with interest, she returned the look.
    â€˜He showed me the sample’, she purred.
    â€˜Did he say he had it with him? Hendrick was still looking at her, but as if he'd like to hurt her.
    â€˜He didn't say.’
    â€˜Did he stop anywhere?’
    â€˜No, oh yeah, he did stop. He bought chewing gum.’ She giggled. ‘And bananas.’
    â€˜What else did he do? It's important.’
    Sam was pretty stoned but she gave it a good try. ‘Well, he gave me some gum and he had some good grass in the car. He didn't smoke and