places, did you know that?’
Lee Carter released him as quickly as he had taken hold. He was bellowing with laughter.
Andy stared, taking him in. He was fatter. Sort of sleek fatter. His hair wasflashily cut. His shirt and jacket were nice. He looked well. Well off.
‘I’ll take you to my place, get you a proper drink.’
‘Why did I have to crash into you?’
‘You didn’t. I been waiting for you. I knew you was at Michelle’s.’
‘Who told you? She wouldn’t.’
‘Course she wouldn’t. I can do better than that. Now, are you getting in?’
‘Not before I know why.’
‘Something to ask you.’
‘Right,well, I ain’t interested.’
Lee walked back towards the car, but stopped before he opened the door, took out a packet of small cheroots and offered it.
‘I don’t.’
‘Always were a goody-two-shoes, you.’
‘If I had been I wouldn’t have been where I have.’
Lee lit the cigar and watched the smoke drift away from him as he blew it out. ‘Look, it ain’t a problem, I just want to catch up.’
‘Oh right,old times and that.’
‘No. Old times are done. New times.’
‘How do you mean?’
‘I could put something in your way.’
‘No thanks.’
‘Legit. I’m done with all that stuff. Doesn’t it look like it?’
Andy looked over the leather jacket, well-cut trousers. Cigar. Car. ‘Not really,’ he said.
‘Come up to my new place. Meet the wife.’
‘What sort of girl’d marry you?’
‘Come and find out.’
Andy didn’twant to get involved with any of them ever again, and Lee Carter in particular, but he was interested, he couldn’t help himself, he wanted to see the place, the wife, even if he didn’t want to hear the proposition.
‘Oh, for Christ’s sake,’ Lee Carter said and slammed the driver’s door.
A split second. You’re not going, Andy told himself.
He got in.
The car was top of the range and had everything.The CD player blasted out, of all things, Dusty Springfield. Lee Carter drove fast and flashily out on to the Flixton Road. Andy didn’t speak. He couldn’t have made himself heard anyway. The wind hurt his ears. He was terrified, not having been in a vehicle faster than the prison delivery van for so long.
They sped out of Lafferton and after five miles turned into Lunn Mawby which Andy knew ashalf a dozen houses and a petrol station.
‘Bloody hell.’
It was no longer a village but an estate of detached private houses, Tudor style, with wrought-iron gates and landscaped front lawns.
They swung round two corners and up a slope. Just three houses stood at the top. Tudor again. Twisty chimneys. Big trees at the back.
Lee drove the car at the gates and as he did so, pressed a button onthe side of the steering wheel. He pressed another button and a fountain in the middle of the bright green grass spurted into life.
‘Jeez.’
Lee grinned and swung the car to a stop.
‘Good?’ he said, and gestured to Andy to follow him as he walked cockily up to the front door.
Quarter of an hour later the guided tour was over. Everywhere they had gone, Lee had looked at himfor approval, admirationand envy. Andy had withheld them all, merely nodding as he took in the billiard room, the gym, the bar, the thick pile carpets, the plasma television, the wall-to-wall mirror-fronted wardrobes, the conservatory, the Olde Englishe oak-fitted kitchen.
They stood there now, Lee at the open door of a six-foot-high fridge.
‘Beer?’
‘No thanks.’
‘Espresso. There’s a machine. Lynda works it betterthan me.’
Lynda had not appeared.
‘She’ll have gone to the health spa.’
‘What am I here for?’
‘Tea then? Go on, let’s have a brew.’ Lee slammed the door of the giant fridge and picked up an electric kettle. ‘Sit down.’
It seemed childish not to.
Lee turned and looked across at him with a grin.
‘It’s legit.’
‘Right.’
‘I told you. I’m not stupid. I was stupid but I ain’t stupid now. Butwhat are you going to
Lee Carter released him as quickly as he had taken hold. He was bellowing with laughter.
Andy stared, taking him in. He was fatter. Sort of sleek fatter. His hair wasflashily cut. His shirt and jacket were nice. He looked well. Well off.
‘I’ll take you to my place, get you a proper drink.’
‘Why did I have to crash into you?’
‘You didn’t. I been waiting for you. I knew you was at Michelle’s.’
‘Who told you? She wouldn’t.’
‘Course she wouldn’t. I can do better than that. Now, are you getting in?’
‘Not before I know why.’
‘Something to ask you.’
‘Right,well, I ain’t interested.’
Lee walked back towards the car, but stopped before he opened the door, took out a packet of small cheroots and offered it.
‘I don’t.’
‘Always were a goody-two-shoes, you.’
‘If I had been I wouldn’t have been where I have.’
Lee lit the cigar and watched the smoke drift away from him as he blew it out. ‘Look, it ain’t a problem, I just want to catch up.’
‘Oh right,old times and that.’
‘No. Old times are done. New times.’
‘How do you mean?’
‘I could put something in your way.’
‘No thanks.’
‘Legit. I’m done with all that stuff. Doesn’t it look like it?’
Andy looked over the leather jacket, well-cut trousers. Cigar. Car. ‘Not really,’ he said.
‘Come up to my new place. Meet the wife.’
‘What sort of girl’d marry you?’
‘Come and find out.’
Andy didn’twant to get involved with any of them ever again, and Lee Carter in particular, but he was interested, he couldn’t help himself, he wanted to see the place, the wife, even if he didn’t want to hear the proposition.
‘Oh, for Christ’s sake,’ Lee Carter said and slammed the driver’s door.
A split second. You’re not going, Andy told himself.
He got in.
The car was top of the range and had everything.The CD player blasted out, of all things, Dusty Springfield. Lee Carter drove fast and flashily out on to the Flixton Road. Andy didn’t speak. He couldn’t have made himself heard anyway. The wind hurt his ears. He was terrified, not having been in a vehicle faster than the prison delivery van for so long.
They sped out of Lafferton and after five miles turned into Lunn Mawby which Andy knew ashalf a dozen houses and a petrol station.
‘Bloody hell.’
It was no longer a village but an estate of detached private houses, Tudor style, with wrought-iron gates and landscaped front lawns.
They swung round two corners and up a slope. Just three houses stood at the top. Tudor again. Twisty chimneys. Big trees at the back.
Lee drove the car at the gates and as he did so, pressed a button onthe side of the steering wheel. He pressed another button and a fountain in the middle of the bright green grass spurted into life.
‘Jeez.’
Lee grinned and swung the car to a stop.
‘Good?’ he said, and gestured to Andy to follow him as he walked cockily up to the front door.
Quarter of an hour later the guided tour was over. Everywhere they had gone, Lee had looked at himfor approval, admirationand envy. Andy had withheld them all, merely nodding as he took in the billiard room, the gym, the bar, the thick pile carpets, the plasma television, the wall-to-wall mirror-fronted wardrobes, the conservatory, the Olde Englishe oak-fitted kitchen.
They stood there now, Lee at the open door of a six-foot-high fridge.
‘Beer?’
‘No thanks.’
‘Espresso. There’s a machine. Lynda works it betterthan me.’
Lynda had not appeared.
‘She’ll have gone to the health spa.’
‘What am I here for?’
‘Tea then? Go on, let’s have a brew.’ Lee slammed the door of the giant fridge and picked up an electric kettle. ‘Sit down.’
It seemed childish not to.
Lee turned and looked across at him with a grin.
‘It’s legit.’
‘Right.’
‘I told you. I’m not stupid. I was stupid but I ain’t stupid now. Butwhat are you going to
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