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Everyone’s sitting around the table when I enter. Bram has sat down and is already fidgeting with his bottle of water. He hates waiting just about as much as he hates sitting down, always was full of energy. I wonder how long it will take before he’s pacing the room.
‘Now can we start?’ Carl asks.
I take my seat at the head of the table, noting that the atmosphere’s tense. Ever since the opening night of the Highbar there have been more and more overdoses and people getting ill from coke bought on the street.
‘Who wants to start?’ I ask.
‘Two girls passed out last night at Nio’s. One’s in IC with internal bleeding, the other is in critical care,’ Dylan says softly, his tone laced with anger.
‘I’ve heard from Angelo that they picked up a dealer carrying a load of coke cut with detergent,’ Carl says. ‘He called just now, wanting info.’
‘Fucking detergent?’ Bram mutters.
‘Where’s it coming from?’ I ask.
‘Where d’you think?’ Bram shoves his chair back and starts pacing the office like a caged animal. ‘Question is, what we gonna do about it?’
‘Can’t go on,’ Sepp says, tapping his pen on the table. ‘If it turns up in here...’ He shakes his head. ‘That’s all we fucking need. This place has to stay super-clean with the amount of money we’re moving through it.’
‘What else did Angelo say?’ I ask Carl.
‘That they’re about this close,’ he holds up his finger and thumb, ‘to blowing everything up to find the source. He wants answers, fast. The police can turn a blind eye to most shit, but coke cut with detergent that’s burning kids from the inside out isn’t gonna fly for long.’
I nod, imagining personally shooting Bana through the head for this. He’s got no morals, we’re probably just better off with him out of this game.
‘What do we do?’ Bram asks.
‘Let’s talk to him. Tonight. Tell him to get the shit off the street, now. If that doesn’t work...’
My eyes meet Dylan’s. He speaks for me.
‘We shoot him.’
‘You want me to call him?’ Bram’s already got his phone in his hand.
‘Yeah. Set it up for tonight. He needs to clean this shit up immediately.’ I stand up.
‘We all going?’ Carl asks.
‘No. Bram, D and I will go. You and Sepp stay here. Keep an eye on Dale.’ I move to the desk and check the security cameras. I spot her; she’s just arrived back with a white plastic bag from the takeaway. I run my hand over my face. I shouldn’t have let her go alone. It’s too soon, it makes me too nervous, there’s so much going on that I can’t control, and I hate not being in control.
I open the office door and wait for her to come. When she does, I take the carton she offers me and kiss her. She looks so proud of herself for having gone alone it squeezes my heart and I feel bad for wishing she hadn’t.
As we sit down to eat, Bram goes to the other room to make the call, Dylan disappears somewhere and Sepp heads down to the bar. Carl stays with us, sitting opposite me.
‘Tomorrow’s your big day, huh, Dale?’ he says.
She nods.
‘I remember my graduation ceremony. I never understood what all the fuss was about – those stupid hats and gowns, they’re so out of date.’
‘This is important to Dale, Carl. Don’t belittle it just cos you didn’t give a shit,’ I say. My brother never seems to appreciate how privileged he was to get a degree.
‘I didn’t say I didn’t give a shit. But my degree was more than some dumb ceremony.’
‘Carl.’ I shoot him a look.
‘It’s OK, Slater.’ Dale squeezes my hand. ‘It’s just a stupid formality, really. I wouldn’t be so keen to go myself, but after all the effort getting this degree has taken, I want to make sure I celebrate it properly.’
I lean over and run the back of my hand over her cheek. We are going to celebrate properly. I know she’s just talking it down. I know this ceremony is a huge thing for her and she’s disappointed I won’t be there for her, but just stepping into that place will make me feel like a useless piece of shit next to all those students. I can’t stand it. But I’ll make it up to her. I’m taking her to dinner tomorrow night, and I’ve ordered something for her. Something that she can keep, to remember the day. I’ll pick it up while she’s at the ceremony and give it to her just after.
Bram comes in, putting his phone into his pocket. ‘Ready?’
‘When?’ I ask.
‘Half an hour.’
Dale looks from my brother to me, and I put my hand over hers.
‘I’ve got to go out for something, little bird. Carl will stay here with you. Sepp’s around, too.’ I stand up and dump the food cartons in the bin. ‘I won’t be long. I promise.’
I pull Carl aside. ‘If this takes longer than I expect, take her home, will you?’
‘Sure.’
I hand him my keys.
‘Make sure you take her inside, and stay with her if she wants you to.’
He puts his hand on my shoulder. ‘I will, Marcel. She’ll be fine with me.’