The Hard Way by Duncan Brockwell (most popular ebook readers txt) 📕

workshop. The tinkering continued. “Erm, hi, I’m here to see Richard?”

Up closer, she heard the faintest hint of music, and realised the woman in blue coveralls was wearing headphones. Right behind the woman, who had her head inside the engine, Charlotte tapped her on the shoulder.

The woman screamed, making Charlotte jump.

The short woman turned, letting out a huge sigh of relief, telling her not to sneak up on people like that, that she almost gave her a heart attack.

Charlotte apologised for scaring her. “I didn’t think. Do you forgive me?” She gave the woman her most genuine smile. “I’m Charlotte, Richard’s sister.”

Shaking her hand, the woman introduced herself as Paula, one of Richard’s team. “It’s funny, but I’ve been here three years, and haven’t seen you before. I almost forgot Richard had a family. I always thought he was a robot.”

With a laugh, Charlotte agreed with Paula. “You’re not the first person to say that. That’s one of his ex-wife’s biggest complaints, that he’s always working.” Charlotte took a good look around the workshop. “So, what’s the big secret? What exactly are you doing here? I’ve just come from the factory, and the receptionist told me there’s this big reveal next week, or something? Is it big news?”

Paula nodded. “Oh, the biggest.”

“But you’re not going to tell me, are you? Have you invented some new valve, or something?” It was the only thing she could think of.

“Something like that, except this ‘valve’ will literally change the world as we know it. Let’s put it this way, over the next year or so, Fisher Valves will become a household name. This valve is so big, it’s going to change the automotive trade forever.”

“A valve can do all that?” Charlotte hid a disbelieving grin. “Wow!” Cuckoo sprang to mind. “Is he about?”

“Richard! Your sister’s down here!” Paula bellowed, making Charlotte jump.

She thanked Paula and stared up at the room on the mezzanine level. “There you are! Surprise!” Richard stood at the top of the iron stairs glaring at her.

“What the hell are you doing here? How’d you find this place?” He started walking down the steps.

“I went to the factory, but the receptionist informed me you were here. It’s okay for me to drop by like this, isn’t it?”

“Not really, Lottie, no.” He met her by the car, took her arm and started walking her towards the front door. “You shouldn’t be here. Go on home. I’ll call you later, but you can’t be here, okay? It’s not safe.”

She took one last look around the workshop, before stepping outside. “What do you mean it’s not safe? It looks plenty safe to me. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re trying to get rid of me.”

“No! Really? What gave you that idea? You’re out in the car park, now please go home, would you! I’ll call you later. Oh, and turn left when you leave. Whatever you do, don’t turn right.”

Stood by her car, Charlotte opened her door. Her brother turned to walk towards the workshop. “You’re such an arsehole sometimes, do you know that? And to think I actually came here to apologise.” She stuck two fingers up at him.

With his back still to her, he said, “Go home, Charlotte. I’ll call you later to explain.” At the door, he turned. “And remember what I said, left out of here. It’s not safe to turn right.”

Wanting to ask him more questions, her brother disappeared inside. Charlotte put her car in gear and reversed out. At the end of the car park, she looked both left and right. Remembering Richard’s order, she turned right and set off on her journey home.

Who was he to be throwing orders around? He wasn’t the boss of her. Almost immediately, she came across two white transit vans, which she noticed because she had to wait for cars coming the other way. They weren’t on the pavement enough for her to pass. She beeped at them, and when ready, passed them, extending her middle finger at the two vans, even though there were no occupants. “Wankers!”

At the roundabout from Beddington Farm Road onto Ampere Road, she was surprised to find one of the two transit vans behind her. Or at least she thought it was one of them. Charlotte tried to get a good look at the driver. Two men sat in the front.

On her way home, she kept studying her followers in the rear-view mirror. For forty-five minutes the van was there, the driver and his passenger watching her. The transit drove past her house when she turned left into her driveway.

39

Luke Walker took his pint from the bar. He tried to make his way through the throng of customers waiting to buy a drink and bumped into a guy who made him spill a bit. It went over his T-shirt. “Don’t worry about it, mate.” Sarcasm oozed over every syllable.

The guy who’d bumped him shot him some daggers. Instead of rising to the bait, which would have been so easy, Walker continued on his way to the Sarge and Vodicka, who already had drinks. Friday nights in Bar Boho were packed, manic affairs that Walker hated.

Wanting nothing more than to spend the evening with Rachel, he was intent on getting this chore over with. He carried his pint outside, where the Sarge and Vodicka were sat on a pub bench. “It’s fucking packed in there. I could’ve twatted some guy who spilled beer over me.” He placed his drink on the bench and wiped his T-shirt with his hand, like it would somehow help.

To his annoyance, they laughed. “What’s so funny?”

“You! You’re whining like a bitch,” Vodicka said, sucking her drink through a straw. “Hey, Sarge, maybe we should’ve found a nice cosy pub for him, with a lovely open fireplace.” She laughed, then winked at him.

“Yeah, how about it, Skywalker? Shall I bring you your slippers and dressing gown?” The Sarge took a gulp of his lager.

“Or maybe he wants Miller to