Moon was off on holiday and it was a busy night for the phones. Russon waited twenty-five minutes. Men turned their backs, changed their position several times, worried that those behind them in the queue would hear, and he worked out that if the next one stood too close, then yes, he could hear, enough anyway. Most of the conversations were domestic and not worth listening in on but he had more important things to say. He had to be careful. Still, he was used to being careful.
There was a weirdly good mood in the air this Saturday night. It happened, like a bad one spread like poison gas, and everybody got a face full of it and snarled and shoved and then something kicked off. Nothing would now. It was as if they’d all been given a couple of pints with chasers. Not a bad idea.
‘There you go, mate.’
‘Cheers.’
Dave took too long to answer, given they’d fixed the time. People behind you got restless when you were hanging on without speaking.
‘What you messing about at, Dave?’
‘Sorry, got tied up.’
‘Yeah, right. How’s things?’
‘All right. Donna’s got a bad back again but she’s going to –’
‘Fuck off. Things.’
‘Thought I’d wind you up.’
‘Well, don’t.’
‘OK, OK. Listen, I can’t go there again. Well, not for a bit. That’s twice she’s called the cops out.’
‘They see you?’
‘I’d hopped off, I was watching from the van. They went inside, had a chat, came out and poked about a bit, torches going this way and that. No chance of seeing me. I don’t know what they get paid for.’
‘So why aren’t you going back?’
‘Just think next time they might be a bit more thorough.’
‘You’re joking.’
‘You’re not the one prowling round her back garden in the dark.’
‘Too right. I’m in here.’
‘Sorry, Lee, only I just think it’d better be left for a week or two.’
‘One week.’
‘That’s Donna shouting me, I’d better go.’
‘Never mind Donna. You heard me.’
‘I heard and I know what you’re going to say next – if I don’t, you’ll cut the money off.’
‘Too right.’
Dave sighed. ‘OK, only I’ve got to be careful.’
‘I thought you already were.’
‘Got to go. You doing all right, anyway?’
‘Great thanks, Dave. I’m great. Talk next week.’
He went away from the phones wondering how he came to have such a wuss of a brother. Dave was weak. If Lewis had been on it would have been different, but Lewis had taken off a roof and broken his leg. All he’d got was Dave.
He went into the TV room to see what was on, which was some rubbish film. Both pool tables were in use and there was a queue for them. He kicked the door hard as he came out but all that got him was a sore foot.
At home, Dave watched the kettle boil and wondered how he could tell his brother he wasn’t going to hang about the back garden of old Mrs Still any more, payment or not. It wasn’t as if Lee gave him fistfuls of notes. It was a stupid game, and one of these nights he would get caught, the cops would be having a slack shift and decide to do a more thorough search about, or else she’d come out and see him and have a heart attack and die on the spot and then what was he supposed to do? Lee said the reason was just to put the wind up her a bit but how was that going to stop her talking to the paper about Kimberley? It wasn’t. When he’d pushed a bit, his brother had said if he went on doing it a few more times it might make her move out, go and live with her sister or something. Why did he want that to happen? He wouldn’t say.
The kettle clicked off.
No, he’d made up his mind. He wasn’t doing it again. It was stupid and he got cold and Donna asked where he was off to this time of night. He made the tea.
He’d write a note, just saying it was off and to forget the money, he didn’t need it – though he did. He never asked where exactly Lee got it either, though it wouldn’t be legit, he’d been into all sorts of dodgy things since he was twelve years old. He didn’t handle it himself, of course, not now he was inside, someone, Dave didn’t know who, did all that for him. There was probably a mint stashed somewhere. Enough to have paid his brother a lot more for hanging about old ladies’ gardens at night.