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

sits down on a hard backed chair at the table. Taking his tobacco tin out of his pocket he drops the tin onto the table making Carol jump.
Carol turns away from the sink her face pale with fear; “You made me jump, where have you been?”
“Only stood outside for a while; not a lot of room to sit in the lounge.”
Carol looks deep into his eyes; “Dippa told me he was only winding you up about Mick. How long have we got to stay here? That Razor Mick gives me the creeps.”
“Dunno, with those two here I guess Dippa plans to go pay this fella a visit tonight and there will be no reason for us to hang around.”
“Sooner the better, do you want a coffee? I'm making them one.”
“Yeah thanks, got any of that spaghetti left?”
“No, Dippa had the rest when you went out, do you want me to cook you something?”
“Depends what Dippa decides, I don't want you to get halfway through and I get sent out on another damn errand.”
“Why don't you ask him? He did eat your supper after all.”
Eric stands up and goes into the lounge, Dippa is talking on his mobile phone and Razor Mick asks Eric where the coffee is?
“It's on the way, are you going visiting tonight?”
Razor Mick gives Eric a hard stare as if it's none of Eric's business but nods his head; “Just waiting for it to get a bit darker. You will have to stay here and keep an eye on the street for us, in case of any visitors.”
“And I want you at that window all the time we're in there.” orders Dippa as he puts his phone onto the table.
Eric looks Dippa in the eyes; “How long do you reckon you'll be?”
“As long as it takes, ah here comes the coffee.” Dippa answers as Carol walks in carrying a cup in each hand.
Passing a cup to Dippa and Razor Mick she silently goes back out into the kitchen returning almost immediately with a cup each for Curly Pete and Eric. She hands them their coffee and stands at the table still staying silent.
“You don't like this do you?” Dippa asks her.
“You are right there, if you don't succeed in getting your money back what happens then?”
Dippa smiles knowing that Carol's main concern is for herself; “We will, you will still get supplied, whatever happens.”
Looking at Razor Mick and Curly Pete she continues; “What happens if the police get involved, you won't be able to help me then.”
“As long as you and Eric keep your eyes open while we're in there; make sure you keep by the window.” orders Dippa.
They sit and stand quietly drinking their coffee lost in their own thoughts until Dippa's phone rings, picking it up Dippa says 'Yes.' and listens to the voice on the other end. Pushing a button he puts the phone back onto the table and looks at Eric; “Natalie's at the door go and let her in will you?”
The question is more of a statement and Eric obediently puts his coffee cup on the table and goes down the stairs and opens the door; Natalie stands close to the door and walks in as he is still opening it.
Natalie is about the same height as Eric at one metre eighty centimetres tall with close cropped black hair. Wearing a low cut blouse and tight fitting jeans Eric finds it difficult to believe that Natalie is a lesbian, but he does not feel the same aversion against her as he does of males of the same persuasion.
Handing him a big laundry bag she smiles and says 'Hello.' and walks up the stairs, Eric follows her up the stairs and into the lounge.
“Hi Nat,” greets Dippa “You got everything?”
“Yes mate, got a few different sizes in case Pete has put on weight since I seen him last, Hi Pete” she says looking at Curly Pete and grinning broadly.
“Hi Nat, been a long time.”
“Yeah gotta be about a year now, how yer keeping, still putting on the weight then?”
“Gotta keep me strength up, you going with anyone?”
“You took a bit of replacing but yes, I been going out with Sheila coming up for six months now.”
“Sheila, I remember her I thought she was married?”
“Yeah she was for a little while and then she met me, she looks after me very well.” replies Natalie.
“That's great to hear, I always wondered why you preferred hanging out with the girls and that you were never completely happy with me, now I know why.” Curly Pete laughs as his face turns red with embarrassment.
“Who are you going to beat up tonight then?” Natalie asks.
“Best you don't know, thanks for the overalls and stuff it's been great to see you again, maybe we will meet again?”
“Yes, maybe we will.” answers Natalie, with a nod and a smile she looks at everyone in the room and turns and walks out the door.
“When we doing this Dippa?” asks Curly Pete.
Dippa stands up and walking across to the window looks up and down the road; “It's dark enough and there is no one about, how about now?”
“Save all this hanging about, let's see what Natalie brought us.” answers Curly Pete. Opening the bag he pulls out several pairs of new blue paper overalls and looking at the size on the labels he chooses a pair and passes the rest to Razor Mick.
Looking through them Razor Mick takes a pair and puts the rest beside him; “These will fit.” he says as he starts to put them on.
Curly Pete's overalls fit perfectly and reaching back into the bag he pulls out a short crowbar, bolt cutters and a steel shafted claw hammer; “Just the job.” he says in a cold voice and puts them back in the bag.
“I'm ready.” says Razor Mick as he zips up his overalls.
“I want both of you looking out the window; and you are to phone me if any problems Ok?” orders Dippa to Eric and Carol.
“I better go and pee then before you go, oh and by the way it's the one with the faded red door that's set back a bit from the rest, eleven doors up on the other side of the road.” replies Eric as he turns and walks out the door.
“How long is this going to take?” asks Carol.
“Maybe ten minutes or it might take all night.” Dippa says as he stares hard into Carol's eyes.
“Don't you want a pair of overall, you might get your clothes messed up?”
“That's Pete and Mick's job; I wouldn't want to spoil their fun.” Dippa replies with a laugh.
Carol looks at Dippa's smiling face, he appears to be looking forward to seeing someone hurt, whereas Curly Pete and Razor Mick are straight faced, almost seeming unhappy. Money problems have occurred before where people have borrowed and not paid back. She can recall Razor Mick's and Curly Pete's services being called on several times in the past and they always got the money, one way or another.
“We ready then?” asks Dippa.
“Lead on.” replies Curly Pete as he and Razor Mick follow Dippa out of the door.

Simon drinks deep of the Jack Daniels and belches contentedly as he puts his feet up onto the coffee table and takes another large swig, emptying the mug. Refilling his mug with more Jack Daniels he starts to search the sports channels hoping to find a cricket match. Five channels later a smile breaks out on Simon's face as he tunes in to India versus Sri Lanka and taking another large swallow settles deeper into the couch. The match is exciting to watch but the whiskey makes his eyes blur and he soon falls asleep in a drunken stupor.

Dippa slides a thin piece of shiny metal between the front door and frame feeling for the lock, using the crowbar he forces the door apart and with a final push and wriggle at the lock he opens the door. Curly Pete and Razor Mick follow him in quietly and shut the door behind them they push past him as they climb the stairs.
Simon's inner door is locked with the same kind of lock as the main front door; but Curly Pete doesn't wait for Dippa. He takes a run at the door and putting his shoulder to it forces it open. The door opens with a crack of splitting wood and mighty crash as it hits the inner wall. Curly Pete rushes in with Razor Mick hard on his heels as they run into the lounge.
Woken by the noise Simon's instinct as he stands is to grab hold of the nearly empty bottle of Jack Daniels.
Curly Pete runs straight up to him intending to punch him out cold; Simon still very drunk sees Curly Pete as a blur, but the alcohol has not slowed his reactions as he swings the bottle at the blurred head in front of him hitting it hard. Curly Pete goes down hard and fast and hits the floor with a bang shaking the whole building as Razor Mick rushes in with razor drawn.
Simon turns to face him as the blade lights up, reflecting the light from the television. Stepping back Simon swings with the bottle hitting Razor Mick on the shoulder breaking the bottle in two; and Razor Mick's collar bone. Simon pushes the broken bottle into Razor Mick's face as hard as he can and twists it pushing it down into his neck. Razor Mick screams as he falls to the floor clutching his bleeding face. Stepping back Simon does not see Dippa enter the room or Curly Pete lying on the floor and he trips on Curly Pete's legs hitting the floor with a thump. Dippa, seeing his opportunity steps forward quickly and hits Simon hard on the head with the crowbar knocking him out.
Dippa stands back as Simon falls to the floor and looks at Razor Mick who is twisting in agony as the blood pours from his face soaking his new overalls. Grabbing hold of a cushion from the couch Dippa tries to pass it to Razor Mick who reaches out feebly as he falls back onto the floor, the blood soaking into the carpet.
Dippa, more concerned that Simon may wake up looks around for something to tie him with. Seeing the curtain chord he pulls a small knife out of his pocket and walking across the room cuts a piece off and ties Simon's hands together.
Checking Curly Pete's pulse, he breathes a sigh of relief and crosses the room and picks up Razor Mick's wrist. No pulse beats beneath his finger and the blood appears to have slowed in its gushing from the huge gash on his face. Moving his finger across Razor Mick's wrist, Dippa searches desperately for a pulse. By pressing really hard he feels a faint beating and he lays Razor Mick's wrist