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

goes back into the hall to help Stef carry their belongings upstairs. As she picks up her suitcase Stef comes running down the stairs; “I'll do that, you make the coffee I'm as dry as a bone.”
“Sounds good to me.” smiles Nicola as she walks back into the kitchen.
A few minutes later a breathless Stef enters the kitchen and sits down at the table on a hard back chair. Getting his tobacco tin out of his pocket he starts to roll a cigarette.
“Now what?” asks Nicola as she puts a mug of coffee in front of him.
“I'll phone Simon again when I've drunk me coffee and we'll go from there.” replies Stef, with more confidence than he feels. The truth was that he did not know what to do next and he searches his memory for the right person to help them.

“Hello Pete?” asks Steve as he answers the ringing of the phone.
“Hi Steve, you need me to come back?” he asks, having already guessed why Barney had asked him to ring.
“Only if you want to, have you taken care of Mick?”
“Yeah, he's at his Aunties, she wants a couple of days to get the family together.”
“You all right, can you spare some time to come back and help me?” asks Steve hopefully.
“Yeah, will be in the morning as I’ve got a few things to sort here first, where are you?”
“Thanks mate; yeah I'm at home ring me when you are outside.”
“I ain't doing it for you, I owe that bastard.” says Curly Pete as he disconnects the call.
Steve puts the phone down on the table with a smile on his face, picking the phone up again he dials a number and holds the phone to his ear; “Hey Natalie need your help if you can.”
“Steve, things gone wrong?” asks Natalie in a cheery voice.
“Yeah, not so good to be honest, really need your help.”
“Yeah sure, what ya need?”
“Can you and Sheila come down here with your shooters tomorrow I got real problems?”
“Sounds like you have mate, can be with you first thing in the morning, where do you want to meet?”
“I'm still at the same place, come and knock on the door, if your early enough I'll cook you breakfast.”
“Wow, you must have problems see you in the morning.”
“Nice one thanks, see you in the morning.” Steve pushes a button and dials again; the phone rings four times before a voice shouts; “Who is it?”
“Eric, its Steve everything all right there?”
“Oh, sorry man didn't recognise the number, yeah, all good here.”
“You still keeping an eye on that flat?”
“Ain't taken our eyes off it, think the fella's gone to bed.”
“That's good to hear, nothings gonna happen until the morning will you and Carol be able to keep watch overnight?”
“Yeah, can do if you want, we can take it in turns.”
“Appreciate it man I've got some people arriving in the morning, I'll come see you about ten, can you put Dippa on please?”
“Yeah, but before I do we got Stella coming about then, think she wants her flat back.”
“I'll talk to her, if she gets there before me tell her I got a proposition for her she will like.”
“Sounds good, here's Dippa.” Eric answers as he hands him the phone.
“Hi Steve.” says Dippa in a serious voice.
“You can get away if you want to mate, let Eric and Carol cover it and I'll see you at mine in the morning about nine if you can get out of bed.” Steve says in a sarcastic voice.
Dippa knows he is joking; “Well I'll have a go, cheers see you in the morning.” and disconnects the call!
Steve suppresses his anger at Dippa for hanging up on him but only for a second or two; angrily he stubs out the half smoked cigarette in the ashtray. Instantly regretting his move he takes another cigarette out of its packet and puts it between his lips. Dialling a number on his phone he lights the cigarette as he puts the phone to his ear. Breathing out a huge cloud of smoke he speaks into the phone; “Hi Barry, sorry to phone you so late.”
“Steve, coming in on your old phone must mean you got problems.” says the voice on the other end in a stern manner.
Steve's stomach twists in fear at the tone of voice, Barry is the main backer along with two others who put the money together to buy the huge amounts that they do. Steve's contribution money wise has always been small as he was the one taking the risk in getting it into the country. This was the first time he had got Dippa to meet the boat, and right from the start things had gone wrong.
“Yeah you could say that, we didn't meet the boat this time, we did the usual drop but we knew something was wrong when they were late in coming. When they did show they had a police launch chasing them and the police were everywhere.”
“I hear you lost my money, how is it you are not telling me that?” asks Barry in a threatening tone of voice.
“It's not totally lost, I know where it is and I should get it back tomorrow.” answers Steve, now really scared; how does Barry know? As far as Steve was concerned he was the only one who knew about Barry, Rob and Phil, the people who supplied the money. He was the only one who ever met them but had always suspected that Barry did not trust him and often wondered how it was that Barry seemed to know what was going on. His words confirm Steve's fears and his mind races as to who is informing on him as Barry's voice interrupts his thoughts; “I'll be down to see you in the morning with Rob and Phil, make sure you are at home.” he says as he hangs up the phone.
Steve takes his phone from his ear and stares at the floor, his mind a whirl of thoughts; who is it that is informing on him? Dippa seems the obvious candidate but Steve feels he hasn't got the intelligence to be able to keep that sort of thing from him. He sorts through his mind on the people it could be and realises he hasn't got a clue as to who it is. Now that he is aware that he is being watched Steve feels confident that he will soon find out who it is.
The thought of Barry and his other backers coming to see him knots his stomach and he hopes that they arrive when everybody else does! Satisfied that he can do no more he stands up and walks across the room to where he had thrown his jacket on the floor. Picking it up carefully he brushes the dust off with his hand and drapes it onto the back of a chair. Forgetting to turn the lights off he makes his way to his bedroom and lying on the bed without undressing he closes his eyes and is instantly asleep.

Simon smiles as he looks down at the fellas’ phone as it lights up and starts to play rap music; that is the third time it has rang in the last five minutes. Simon holds his glass up in a silent toast to the phone and drinks deeply. Going to the window he opens the curtains a fraction and looks along the street. All seems quiet apart from a gang of youths hanging about outside the shop. As he is closing the curtain, movement from an upstairs window catches his eye; cautiously pulling the curtain back enough he sees a blonde haired girl blow a cloud of smoke into the room. The flash of the lighter as she lit her cigarette was what caught his eye and he gets the feeling that she is sitting there to watch him.
Standing back a step but still holding the curtain back he watches the blonde girl, she appears to be talking to someone in the room and every now and then she would look out into the street and in the direction he is standing! At one point Simon seems to feel their eyes meet as she stares at his window and he is glad of the net curtain and of being deep in the room.
Simon's arm starts to ache where he is holding the curtain and waiting his opportunity when the girl looks back into the room he slowly drops the curtain and massages his aching arm.
Stepping back into the lounge he grabs hold of the chair he was tied to and puts it close to the window. Going into the kitchen Simon gets several clothes pegs from the washing basket and puts the kettle on to boil.
Making a strong mug of coffee Simon goes back into the lounge and puts the mug of coffee next to the window near his chair. Still feeling the effects from the amount of whiskey he had drunk he takes a sip of the hot coffee, if his suspicions are right he needs to sober up!
Turning off the lamp he approaches the curtain and eases it back gently, the street light directly outside his flat must reflect off the window, he hopes. The lamp had been on when he had seen the blonde girl and she had given no indication that she had detected any movement. Feeling confident that he is right Simon eases back the curtain enough to see the girl and most of the street. The girl is watching the gang of youths at the shop; a police car stands by with blue light flashing as two policeman talk to the youths. Carefully Simon pegs the curtain back trying not to cause any sudden movement and sits down slowly on the chair.

“Is that Kemp in the street?” Carol asks Dippa from the window.
Dippa gets up from the couch and hurries to the window, looking down at the street he sees Kemp walking slowly along staring into the houses looking for Stella's door; “Bet he's forgotten where she lives, I'll meet him out there and see you tomorrow.” says Dippa as he walks across the room. Picking up his can of beer he leaves the room without a backward glance and descends the stairs. Carol does not here him shut the front door and sees him as he emerges from the building. Walking up to Kemp they talk for a few seconds and walk back along the street to Kemp's car. Carol watches them as they get in and hears the roar of the engine as Kemp starts the car and drives out of sight.
“He gone?” asks Eric from the kitchen doorway.
“Yeah at last, make me a coffee will you? it's going to be a long night.”
“Already doing it, you taking the first watch then?” asks Eric hopefully.
Carol looks at her man’s tired face; “I'm happy enough here.”
“Thanks won't be long.” says Eric as he goes back into the kitchen, a few minutes later he comes