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

since the beginning of this mess and I guess I listened to him.” Curly Pete appears to stop speaking halfway through the sentence the way his voice trails off as grief covers his face. Tears fill his eyes, something Steve thought he would never see. In a way he had looked up to Curly Pete over the years, which made the betrayal hurt more than it should. Sheila and Natalie still point their guns at Curly Pete's head look at Steve with questioning looks.
“How do you feel about me now?” Steve asks.
Curly Pete stares hard into his eyes; “I can see I was wrong but I don't blame you if you don't trust me anymore.” Turning his gaze to Sheila he says in a calm voice; “I know that you would enjoy it the most, between the eyes will you, I've had enough of suffering.”
Sheila smiles and raises her gun to aim it between his eyes, tensing her finger on the trigger her smile widens as she starts to laugh; “You'd let me do it as well, wow you must be down.” she finishes suddenly with deep concern.
Natalie lowers her gun and puts it in a deep pocket on the side of her jeans. Steve had wondered where her gun had appeared from and he relaxes sensing no threat from Curly Pete. Looking at Sheila as she lowers her gun Steve cannot resist saying; “Ahh Sheila, you like him.”
“Not very much.” she replies in a negative voice as she tucks her gun in her waist band behind her.
“Let's hope the double glazing worked and the neighbours didn't hear the shots, we were lucky that fella didn't fire his shotgun. Thanks Nat think you saved my life and you Sheila.” says Steve grabbing her arm in a gentle caress.
Sheila turns a deep red in embarrassment and sits down at the table; “I'm a bit disappointed in you Pete, you honestly believed I was gonna shoot you, I thought you knew me better than that?”
Pete turns around and sits down at the table next to Sheila; “I wanted you to, it just doesn’t feel right without Mick, I feel as if I am to blame.”
“Don't mean you gotta join him, you've still got plenty of living to do and your first job is to suggest what we do with these bodies.” Sheila laughs looking around at Barry, Phil and Dave who lay where they had fallen on the floor.
“That one's easy, we've got Barry's car here they'll have a little accident later on tonight, we need to burn it anyway.”
“Why have we got to burn it?” asks Natalie as she moves Barry's legs away with her foot and joins them sitting at the table.
“Fingerprints, DNA traces, we'll burn it good with them inside it as our hair or DNA will be present on their clothes. The Old Bill will know they've been murdered by the bullets inside them, unless you want to dig them out first?”
Natalie shudders; “No thanks, I need a new gun anyway.”
“Yes we'll have to get rid of all the guns used, well yours and Sheila's, didn't you have a gun Steve?”
Steve pulls the gun out from behind his back and laughs; “These nice ladies didn't give me any chance to use it.”
“Watch your mouth.” Sheila snaps and then smiles.
Steve fills the kettle with cold water from the tap and switches it on to boil; “Any one for coffee or tea?”

“We ready then?” asks Nicola.
“Yeah I am, Heather's just coming Simon's gonna stay here.” replies Stef as he starts to put his jacket on.
Heather comes down the stairs, dressed in a white tight fitting T-shirt and faded tight fitting jeans - she looks transformed now that she is out of her nurse's uniform; “All set?” she asks as she walks towards the front door.
“Right behind you.” answers Nicola as they follow her out the door.
Heather's car now gleams in the weak afternoon sunshine where Stef had washed the mud off and then he and Simon had polished and waxed it, making it look almost new.
Heather opens the driver's door and gets in as Nicola sits beside her and Stef jumps into the back and sprawls himself across the back seat.
“Don't you go to sleep back there, I might need directions.” says Heather as she starts the car and backs out of the drive.
Stef does not answer until she turns into the road and drives forward; “Nic knows where we're going and that's a good idea.” laughs Stef as he puts a cushion under his head and closes his eyes.
“You know where we're going though don't you?” asks Nicola.
Heather laughs; “Yeah I know, there's a few garages clustered together there, that's where this one came from. If it's the same fella he might give us a good discount, me being a good customer and all.”
“Worth a try.” agrees Nicola as Stef makes snoring noises from the back seat.
“If you don't know how to snore quietly I'll put my Kate Bush CD on.” Heather threatens.
Stef closes his mouth immediately and makes no reply.
Three quarters of an hour later Heather pulls up in front of the garage; we’re here.” she shouts to Stef as she puts on the handbrake and switches the engine off.
Stef sits up immediately showing he has been awake all the time and looks out of the window; “Lots to choose from here Nic.” he says as he gets out of the car. Nicola and Heather join him and they start to walk around the forecourt looking at the second hand cars that are for sale.
“How much money you got?” asks Heather.
“We thought we'd spend a couple of grand is all, as we want to save as much as we can for Australia,” replies Nicola with beaming smile; “and while we're here we brought a couple for you coz you could do with another car, just in case.”
“In case of what?” asks a mystified Heather.
“In case your car gets recognised by them crooks.”
“Stef did a good job with covering it with mud, I think you are over reacting a bit don't you?”
“Better to be safe than sorry and we do owe you for helping us.”
“That's what sister's are for, anyway I'd need my paperwork to trade this in.”
Nicola rummages in her brown leather handbag and pulls out the MOT certificate and registration documents to Heather's car, she hands them to her with a smile; “With the trade in you'll get a good motor for that.”
“I wondered what you were doing in my room before we left, now I know.” Heather says as she takes the paperwork from Nicola's hand.
“Please, it will at least put our minds at rest and as you've seen we've got a nice box full of money.” Nicola smiles broadly.
“I'll have a look though it might not pay for us to buy two cars from the same place, paying in cash like we are.”
“I hadn't thought of that, where's Stef gone?” asks Nicola looking around the forecourt. She catches a glimpse of Stef's back as he makes his way behind the building to look at the multitude of cars that are parked at the back in a huge field.
Stef is looking at a big black Honda 4x4 with shiny chrome wheels; “How much is that going to do to the gallon?” asks Nicola as she and Heather approach him.
“I don't think that matters.” laughs Stef.
“It does to me, I can see if I leave the finances to you we won't have anything left for Australia.” replies an agitated Nicola.
“I found it.” Stef states bluntly as if the money is now all his.
Nicola's face falls and takes a serious look, before she has a chance to answer Stef laughs; “Was only looking at it Dear, you've walked past the one we want.”
“We!” exclaims Nicola, “don't I get to choose?”
“You will when you see it, look behind you at the Clio.”
Nicola turns around to see a silver Renault Clio that is in their price range and looks immaculate with the silver paintwork shining in the afternoon sunshine. Walking quickly with Heather by her side they approach the Clio, the car looks as good as new and the interior and seats of grey and blue and red squares look as if they have never been sat on.
“See what I mean?” asks Stef.
“I love it.” exclaims Nicola with a beaming smile.
“Good choice.” agrees Heather.
“I'll go get the keys, if it sounds Ok we'll buy it.” says Stef as he walks towards the office.
Nicola walks around the Clio admiring the sleek design and shiny paintwork, a few minutes later Stef returns with the keys and unlocks the door. Getting in he inserts the key in the ignition and turns it to start, the little cars engine starts immediately and Stef takes his foot off the throttle. The engine purrs in a regular rhythm with all cylinders firing perfectly. Considering the engine is cold Stef is impressed with the way it started so easy. Nicola opens the passenger's door and gets in beside him; “Sounds great, we buying it then?”
“Can't see why not.” Stef smiles as he turns the engine off.
Half an hour later Stef, with Nicola beside him drive away from the garage, Stef only managed to get one hundred pounds off the listed price as his heart was not into hard negotiating with the amount of money they had. Heather follows behind as they head for the next garage for Heather's new car – hopefully.


Chapter Eleven

“Where are we going to put these?” asks Sheila as she steps over Phil's body on the way to the bathroom.
“We'd better put them in Barry's car before they stiffen up, I got some blankets we can cover them with until later.” Steve tells Sheila's departing back as she hurries out of the room.
“I'll drive it around the back.” volunteers Curly Pete.
“Good idea, give us a few minutes to move the dustbins and make some room.” Steve says as he opens the back door and steps out into the yard. If Curly Pete was going to do a runner Steve felt that he would rather know now than later; giving him the opportunity to drive the Mercedes is the ideal way.
Steve moves the dustbins and old cardboard boxes out of the way. Seeing his precious Bonsai elm tree on the corner he walks over and picks it up and puts it under the kitchen window. The sound of the Mercedes starting up makes him stand and listen as Curly Pete manoeuvres the car, Steve smiles with relief when he hears the engine noise heading towards him.
Curly Pete drives slowly around the corner and Steve waves him forward until the Mercedes is immediately outside the back door. Curly Pete turns the engine off and puts the handbrake on and jumps out and walks towards Steve.
“Glad you