A Good Find by Gary L Beer (chrysanthemum read aloud .TXT) 📕

nearly chokes as she tries to swallow a mouthful of spaghetti, regaining her breath she manages to control her voice and decline as politely, Eric stares moodily at the floor not appearing to hear.
Dippa smiles and goes back into the kitchen and makes himself a cup of coffee. Walking back into the lounge he sits down on a big cracked leather armchair and sips contentedly.
Twenty minutes pass before Dippa's phone rings; listening for a few seconds he says; “I'll send Eric out to find you.” and pushes a button disconnecting the call.
“They are waiting for you at the corner shop.” Dippa says looking at Eric.
“Why don't you go and meet them then?” asks Eric.
“The fella we want to talk to knows what I look like; and I'm telling you, unless you want me to have a word with Steve to have a word with you?” Dippa answers with a superior smile on his face.
Eric stands up, Razor Mick is scary but Steve was in a completely different league, Eric had seen him put five tough bikers in the hospital because one of them owed him money, they learnt that five against one wasn't enough! Eric puts his jacket on and with a final look at a worried Carol and a smiling Dippa he opens the door and descends the stairs.


Chapter Five

Nicola is glad when the clock finally shows it is time for her to go home. The day has been especially long and difficult, with everyone complaining about just about everything and she wished she had taken the day off. The walk home is slow as she feels tired but glad to be away from the hospital; she has three days off now and will be glad of the rest.
Turning the key she opens the Flat door to be greeted by the new television blasting out a music channel. Nicola feels her face flush with anger as she looks at the enormous television and shouts for Stef to 'Get in here!!'
Stef appears from the kitchen; “You like it then?” he asks in a cheerful voice.
“Where did you get this, and why?” she asks in a trembling voice that is filled with anger.
“You gotta admit you did want a new HD TV, except it ain't working right as I gotta upgrade the dish.”
Nicola looks at Stef trying to repress the smile that is forming on her lips; the new television looks amazing and even without the HD dish the picture looks brilliant.
“Like it don't ya?” Stef laughs.
“You bastard Stef, if we get caught you won't have a new telly.”
“Yeah, but we got one now; do you want a coffee?”
“Please.” replies Nicola, the tiredness of the day being echoed in her voice. She is too tired to argue with Stef and sits on the couch, picking up the remote control she starts to channel hop marvelling at the quality and clarity of the picture.
Stef walks in with a mug in each hand; “Do you mind, I was watching that.” he says in an indignant voice that is hard to back up as he is smiling so broadly.
“Yeah, right.” answers Nicola not taking her eyes from the screen.
Stef puts the coffee onto the table and sits down beside Nicola, putting his arm around her he leans forward and picks up the controls to the DVD player; “Here try this.” he says as he passes her the remote control.
Nicola ignores him for a moment as she continues channel hopping, seeming annoyed by the interruption she takes the remote control and pushes the play button. The face of The Predator stares back at her in glorious colour and Nicola sits back in shock. Stef bursts into laughter delighted at his joke; and is rewarded with a painful punch on the arm.
“I hope that you weren't seen when you bought that?” Nicola asks nervously nodding her head towards the new television.
“Not that I saw, don't worry about it.” assures Stef.
“Well I am worried; promise me you won't spend any more money, for at least a month.”
“You worry too much, we could do with a new car, we can get another one without spending too much. I saw a nice Celica on the way back, it was only eleven grand.”
“NO.” Nicola shouts in fear and anger; “Please Stef let's wait a while, I don't want to come home one afternoon to find you dead on the floor; and the money gone.”
“What's more important then, me? or the money being lost?” asks Stef with real indignation in his voice.
“Stop it, this is serious, I have been thinking today just what kind of people we have stolen the money from?”
“Haven't stolen anything, they shouldn't have left it lying around, anyway it's mine now, and yours.”
“Yes, and let's keep it, please Stef.”
“Yeah Ok, but I'm sick of that car, as long as we get another one soon; Yes?”
“If we are still here and if it's not a Celica.”
“Ya know I've always wanted one, now's the chance.”
“No Stef, we must stay sensible and pretend we don't have any money to waste, you can have a new one when we get to Australia.”
“A new one, I hadn't thought of that, is that a promise?”
“If you promise not to spend any more money until we are sure we can safely.”
“You annoy me sometimes especially when you are right.” agrees Stef with resignation.
“I am scared Stef, really scared I don't want to lose you, especially now.”
“Why now especially?” Stef asks in a gentle voice, looking into Nicola's eyes he can see the fear in them.
“Now we can go to Australia, everything we have dreamt of these past years can be real. A nice house, with a swimming pool and big veranda and in the sun!” Nicola exclaims with a worried smile.
“A new one?” Stef asks with a smile staring deeply into Nicola's eyes.
“Yes I promise, but when we get to Australia.”
“You got a deal.” Stef agrees, the look of fear in Nicola's eyes is real and the deep love that he feels for her motivates him to agree. Not wishing Nicola to know his true feelings he prefers her to think he is motivated by the car; “A black one of course.” he says with a huge smile.
“Of course.” Nicola replies returning the smile. Knowing Stef for many years now she knows that tone of voice and knows he will keep his word.

The street is crowded with parked cars now the working day is over as Eric steps out onto the path. Looking up at the sky he sees that darkness is approaching and with hardly a cloud against the fading blue it promises to be a cold one. Eric zips up his jacket and more than a little scared he heads for the corner shop.
A few hundred metres from the shop Eric sees Razor Mick sitting on the wall of a flowerbed staring at him. Razor Mick has short combed back brown hair forming a quiff at the front and is wearing a shiny black leather jacket. Tight jeans cover his skinny legs making the shiny steel toe capped shoes on his feet look five sizes too big. Looking to his left he says something to someone Eric cannot see as he stands up showing his height to be well over two metres. Curly Pete comes around the corner of the shop and looks at Eric. Curly Pete is a head shorter than Razor Mick but makes up for this in bulk. Wearing a grey T-shirt that strains tight under the pressure of his muscles, he looks huge and scary. His blue jeans seem to be under the same strain and Eric wonders if wearing such tight clothes hurts?
Razor Mick and Curly Pete walk towards him; Eric stops and waits, heart beating fast and too scared to look at Razor Mick he stares at the pavement.
“Hello Eric.” says Razor Mick in a friendly voice.
Eric is surprised at the tone of his voice and looks up at him in confusion mumbling a 'Hello'. Curly Pete looks as friendly and smiles and nods his head towards him.
Razor Mick approaches Eric with outstretched hand for him to shake. Eric looks into his eyes searching for any deceit in his behaviour and seeing none nervously extends his hand; which Razor Mick grabs hold of firmly and pulls Eric towards him.
Eric's heart beats fast as he is pulled forward and expecting a punch he closes his eyes tightly.
“Take it easy Eric, I ain't gonna do anything to you.” says Razor Mick in a strange gentle voice.
“I swear I didn't know it was your misses, honest Mick I got more sense than to cross you.” says Eric in desperation.
“Yeah, I know that now, Steve told me all about it after she disappeared with her boyfriend.” Razor Mick says with no emotion to his voice as he lets go of Eric's hand.
Eric looks at Curly Pete who is still smiling at him and relaxes; “Thanks Mick, shall we go? Dippa's waiting.”
“Lead on.” says Razor Mick with an exaggerated wave of his arm.
Eric walks along the road with Razor Mick and Curly Pete following closely behind, reaching the door to Stella's flat he puts the key in the lock and opens the door standing aside to allow them to pass; “It's at the top of the stairs” he says as Razor Mick and Curly Pete push past him and climb the stairs.
Standing in the doorway Eric looks up the road as the dark of the night turns a street lamp on. A gang of maybe twenty youths, most wearing 'Hoodies' loiter outside the corner shop. He recognises two of them as they are customers that he sees regularly and he relaxes and looks in the other direction; all is quiet and he lets his thoughts drift. The presence of Razor Mick and Curly Pete can only mean that somebody is going to get hurt; bad!
Eric has been happy until now working with Steve and Dippa; business has been good with their connections and the flow of cocaine has been consistent for a couple of years now. His personal involvement has been small with only having to do two or three deliveries a week. This is the first time something had gone wrong and the presence of the two muscle boys upstairs can only lead to bigger trouble he fears.
Reluctantly Eric goes back indoors and shuts the door, climbing the stairs he hopes that his and Carol's involvement is now over. Walking into the lounge he sees that he has lost his seat to Razor Mick at the window. Curly Pete lays on the couch next to a still sleeping Stella, leaving the only comfortable chair to Dippa. Eric stands in the doorway hearing Carol moving about in the kitchen and he goes to see what she is doing.
Carol is washing cups and plates in the little sink and does not hear Eric enter the room, he