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

and walks out into the kitchen; “What are you going to do with that fella?”
Steve looks up at him as he tips his sausage and chips onto a large white plate; “Seen any tomato sauce?” he asks.
“Yeah, it's in the fridge.” replies Dippa as he walks over to the refrigerator and opens the door, reaching in he pulls out a red plastic bottle and hands it to Steve.
“Thanks Dippa, I dunno yet, gotta give this one a little thought.” he answers as he pours tomato sauce over his chips. Putting the lid back on he hands the bottle back to Dippa and sits down at the table and starts to eat. Dippa puts the bottle back into the refrigerator and slams the door shut; “You want a drink with that?”
“Yeah, good idea, coffee with two sugars.”
Dippa fills the kettle and puts it on to boil, washing two mugs in the big sink he prepares the coffee.


Chapter Six

“Still no answer?” asks Nicola.
“No, I don't know what's happened to him.” answers Stef as he pushes a button on his mobile phone.
“I hope he's all right.”
“Yeah, am sure he is, ya know he likes a drink he's probably pissed, I'll give him a call in a while.”
“I do like this telly though I'm not so sure you should have bought it.”
“Why not?” answers Stef belligerently.
Nicola looks Stef in the eyes knowing the tone of voice and the argument that will surely follow if she continues. She does not feel like arguing, it had been a tough day at the hospital and all she wants to do is sit and rest; “Make me a coffee will you? I'm knackered.”
“Make it yourself I ain't your slave” replies Stef harshly as he sits on the couch.
Nicola's face flushes with embarrassment and she looks down at the carpet not wanting any kind of confrontation; she is far too tired.
Stef looks at Nicola seeing his attempt at humour fail miserably, with a pronounced sigh he stands up; “You want it made with all milk?” he asks gently.
“Yes please, darling.” Nicola smiles as she looks up at him, her face drawn and pale.
Stef walks into the kitchen and the sound of him making the coffee as loud as he can fills the air. Nicola smiles wearily, it sure has been a hard day; most of the staff are off with the flu and Nicola feels as if she has done six peoples work in one day! Closing her eyes she sits back on the couch and is instantly asleep.
Stef walks back into the lounge, seeing that Nicola is asleep he makes an angry noise in his throat and sits down opposite her in the armchair. Putting the coffee onto the table his brow creases into a frown; he admits to himself that he is very worried about Simon. Taking his mobile phone out of his pocket he calls again, after five rings the answer phone informs him that he is unable to answer the call and would he like to leave a message? Stef disconnects the call with an angry push of his thumb and shifts in the chair in agitation. Deciding that he can wait no longer, he stands up and puts his telephone into his pocket. Picking up his car keys from the table he walks softly across the floor and opens the door. Trying to be as quiet as possible he shuts the door gently and turns and opens the main door. Closing that as quietly he walks down the path and unlocking the car door he gets in and starts the engine. Not putting his seat belt on he drives slowly away, after a few hundred metres he puts his seatbelt on and not seeing the shadowy figure inside the green Astra estate car watching him he puts his foot down and accelerates fast along the road.

Steve looks up from eating his chips when he hears Simon's mobile phone ringing from the lounge; “Go get that will you mate? Don’t answer it.” he orders Dippa.
Dippa gets up from the table and hurries into the lounge, Simon has moved closer to the table and Dippa can see him straining at the black plastic that holds him; “Ha no way mate.” Dippa shouts as he grabs the back of the chair and tries to pull it away from the table. The legs bite deep into the thick carpet and Dippa strains as his face turns red and veins bulge from the effort. Giving it up as a bad job he picks the phone off the table and goes back into the kitchen as the phone falls silent.
“What was the name that came up?” asks Steve.
“Stef.” replies Dippa as he sits back down putting the phone in front of Steve.
“He is persistent, you'd better go keep look out of the window in case we get a visitor.”
“You think we will?” asks Dippa nervously.
Steve looks Dippa in the eyes; “Never did thank you for knocking out that geezer in there, heard it was you.”
Dippa flushes with pride and with renewed confidence stands and walks into the lounge.
Steve finishes his meal and washes it down with the last of his coffee, pulling a packet of cigarettes out of his pocket he takes one out and puts it in his mouth. Lighting it from a cheap plastic lighter he stands up and walks into the lounge.
Dippa stands by the window looking along the street, Simon twists angrily on the chair as Steve's eyes focus on him; “That was your mate Stef on the phone, he seems well desperate for you to go out and have that drink with him.” Steve says sarcastically.
Simon stares back, the anger in his eyes plain to see. Steve feels uncomfortable under the angry gaze and feels that he is going to get nowhere with the man in front of him. Looking towards Dippa he asks; “See anything?”
“Not what you want, that old woman with the scruffy dog is coming this way but that's about it.”
“Plenty of time, if it's the one you think it is he's gotta come from the other side of town.”
Dippa turns towards Steve in surprise, he had forgotten about the smiling fella he had seen this morning; “I got James keeping an eye up there, hang on.” he says as he takes his mobile phone out of his pocket and dials a number. Holding the phone to his ear he stares at Steve with optimism; “Yeah it's me, has anyone gone out recently up there?”
Dippa listens to the voice at the other end of the phone nodding his head, with a big smile on his face he says; “Yeah you might as well go home if your missus is giving you grief. I'll see you tomorrow sometime thanks for your help.” and pushes a button disconnecting the call. Triumphantly he looks at Steve; “Yeah, that fella I saw this morning has just driven past him.”
“Well done, get back on that window.”
Dippa obediently turns back towards the window and looks along the street in both directions. The excitement and fear returns, twisting his stomach and he hopes Steve handles things a bit better than Razor Mick and Curly Pete had managed to do.

Stef takes the turning into Simon's street and looks anxiously for a space to park the car; the street is full forcing him to drive to the end and into the next street. With no parking spaces in the next street either Stef is forced to drive along the seafront and luckily, finds a space next to the pier. Locking the car he walks quickly back in the direction of Simon's flat. The public bar on the seafront heaves with people and the sound of a live group fills the air with electric guitars and fast drumming; explaining the difficulty with the parking!
Stef crosses the street and approaches two rough looking men who stand at the corner to Simon's street. The bald headed man looks ugly and dirty; the grey khaki shorts and battered work boots look as old as he is and his friend looks similar with dirty grey shirt and jeans. Stef wonders if they are watching the street, or is he just getting too paranoid? he walks past them and along Simon's street.
Realising that it was a mistake to walk down here if his suspicions are correct Stef puts his head down and tries to make himself as inconspicuous as possible. As he approaches Simon's flat he cannot resist looking up at the window. The curtain appears to be drawn back a little; and he can see someone watching him!
The crouching figure is not Simon as Simon does not have blonde hair, and neither do any of his friends, male or female. Stef quickens his pace not realising that the blonde watcher recognises him as the smiling motorist from this morning!
“Steve.” hisses Dippa from the window.
Steve gets up from the couch and strides quickly across the room, standing behind Dippa he peers over his shoulder in the direction Dippa is looking.
Stef hurries along the road with a bad feeling starting to fill his body, his sixth sense screams that he is being watched and how stupid it was to walk along the street, when he knew it is being watched!
Stef breaks into a run and crosses the street so that he is out of sight from the watcher, he reaches the corner and not looking behind him continues running.
“That's the one from the other side of town.” Dippa excitedly exclaims as Stef breaks into his run.
“Get after him.” shouts Steve answering the ring of his phone; reaching into his pocket for his mobile phone he sees the name 'Cheesey', pushing a button he holds the phone to his ear; “Yes mate.” he says as he starts to walk out of the flat after Dippa.
“Hi Steve, this is Cheesey, erm I dunno if you should know this but there's a Geezer running down the street in your direction, wasn't sure whether to phone you or not?” he stupidly asks as Steve reaches the front door and erupts out onto the street; “Get after him, cut him off.” Steve shouts into the phone and runs after Dippa's retreating back.
Cheesey looks at his phone not sure what he has heard; “What he say?” asks Graham.
“I think he wants us to help catch that Geezer.” says Cheesey with a confused look as he sees Steve come running out of Simon's flat and run along the street after Dippa and the running man. Not sure he is doing the right thing Cheesey breaks into a run after them with Graham a few steps behind him.

Stef increases his pace when he reaches the High Street and dodging between the pedestrians he runs down the street towards the bus station. If those two fellas who were standing on the corner run along the street they will cut him off Stef thinks as he is forced out onto the road by a group of young girls who are blocking the pavement.
Stef increases speed with a clear road ahead and realising