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

to deal with you and I don't?”
“Because Sheila and Natalie will be here at two thirty.” replies Steve, getting angry.
“Have you got anything for us to do today?” interrupts Cheesey.
“Not work wise, but I do need someone to check on that fellas flat and to have a look around the town for him and his mate, you know what he looks like don't you?” asks Steve.
“And his mate.” agrees Cheesey.
“Just let us know if you see them, he's mine.” warns Curly Pete.
Cheesey looks unsure what to do next as he waits for Steve to give him and Graham some money.
Steve looks at Barney; “You wanna give them a lift down town? And you can take Dippa as well.”
“Yeah sure and I'll come back at two thirty.” agrees Barney.
“You want me to have a look around as well?” asks Dippa.
“If you got nothing better to do.” replies Steve sarcastically.
“No I haven't, trying to help you is what I'm doing.” lies Dippa.
“Sorry mate things are a bit tense round here at the moment.” apologises Steve “You come back with Barney as I guess you want some today?”
“Yeah I do, only one, though but I might need some more tonight.”
“You can talk to Natalie or Sheila about that when you come back, have a walk around the town with Graham and Cheesey see if you can find that geezer, or his mate.”
Barney stands up from the table; “We might as well go now.” he says.
“You got enough money Cheesey?” Steve asks.
Cheesey looks embarrassed and looks to Graham for help, Graham searches through his pockets and pulls out some loose change; “That's all I got.” he says in a matter of fact way knowing that money was coming soon.
“I'll go get some, meet you at the van.” says Steve as he walks out of the kitchen.
“Don't push him.” warns Curly Pete.
“What do you mean?” asks Cheesey nervously.
“Not you, I'm talking to Dippa.”
“Me? I ain't pushing him it ain't fair that I gotta deal with Sheila and Nat.”
“That's the way it's going to be for a little while until Steve sorts himself out. Anyway they will be different to you as they gotta work with you and I know Natalie's not looking forward to it either.”
“What's going on then?” asks Dippa.
“Best you ask Steve that one, though I wouldn't do it today.” smiles Curly Pete.
“See you later then?”
“Maybe, if I'm still here.” answers Curly Pete in a tone of voice that tells Dippa he may not.
Dippa does not push his luck and follows the others out of the door and makes his way to Barney's van.
Steve comes out of the house and walks quickly to Barney's van, sliding open the side door he gives Cheesey two twenty pound notes; “That comes out of your wages, I know this is a stupid thing to say but don't get too drunk I'll probably need you tomorrow afternoon to do a few things and I want you sober.”
“I will be by tomorrow.” laughs Cheesey as he takes the money from Steve's hand.
Steve slides the side door shut and orders Dippa to wind the window down; “Make sure you come back with Barney, I ain't too happy about you running away yesterday and I'm not that sure I can rely on you anymore.”
“Everyone else ran.” Dippa almost shouts in defence.
“There was no sign of you when I came out on the street; you ran first sign of trouble.” Steve roars back, his face turning almost purple with rage.
“No I never.” whines Dippa his face turning pale with fear.
Steve raises his eyes and looks at Barney; “Get out of here, make sure you bring this one back.” he says firmly indicating Dippa.
Barney wastes no time and starts the engine, putting it in gear he drives quickly away from Steve and pulls out onto the road; “What did you do, I thought everyone ran?” he asks Dippa in a friendly voice.
Dippa stares Barney in the eyes, the fear he feels slowly fades from him and he feels a friendship growing between him and Barney; “Yeah everyone ran, it was possible the Old Bill were on their way.”
“Dunno what Steve is so upset about then, I'll be with you when we go back so no worries.” Barney assures Dippa in that same friendly tone though this is not how he feels. He had heard how Dippa ran away and he felt the same way that Steve now feels about him. He no longer trusted Dippa and had always viewed him as a liability.
Dippa smiles weakly in reply; “Thanks mate.”
“I'll drop Cheesey and Graham at the Pub and then we'll go get something to eat.” smiles Barney.
“Yeah I missed breakfast.” admits Dippa.

“I got us a room” announces Stef as Nicola opens the door for him.
“I hope it's more than one, I love you Stef but not enough to be cooped up with you in the same room twenty four hours a day.”
“It's got a kitchen and a bathroom.” smiles Stef.
“What about a bedroom?”
“No, it ain't got one of them.” admits Stef.
“You hear that Heather? Stef's got us a room.” she shouts to her sister who is sitting in the lounge.
“Only one?” Heather shouts back.
Nicola pulls a face at Stef; “See what I mean.”
Stef looks crestfallen and looks down at Nicola's feet, the white trainers she wears look clean and new; “I was only trying to help, it is a big room.”
“Won't be big enough, where is it?”
“Well that's the good bit; you know the old tin church round the corner?”
“We're not going to live in a church?” asks Nicola with disapproval.
“Let me finish will you? Next to the church is a lovely bungalow.” smiles Stef broadly.
“I've seen that; it looks more like a shed than a bungalow.” Nicola shouts in horror.
“You don't mean that little place that's all covered in roofing felt do you?” asks Heather as she comes out of the lounge.
“Yeah, that's the place it's really great inside in it Si?” asks Stef as he turns to Simon for support.
Simon gives Stef a strange look; “If you say so Dude.” he says smiling evilly.
“You said you liked it!” Stef exclaims indignantly.
“I do, can't resist a wind up when I get the chance.”
“You bastard Simon what's it really like?” asks Nicola.
“It's really good inside, nice and clean, really big garden and one really good room.”
“You are joking about their only being one room?”
“It's a big room.” laughs Simon.
“I want to see it.” Nicola says firmly.
“And so do I.” says Heather as she joins Nicola in standing in the doorway.
“You'll have to wait until tomorrow, I'm hungry and I want to get back and mend the window when it's still light.”
“Was it expensive?” asks Nicola with a worried expression.
“You are having a laugh aren't you, as if you care?” asks Stef.
“I am worried.” answers Nicola looking at Stef he sees her face change as she remembers the amount of money they had; “I'd forgotten about that.” she laughs looking embarrassed.
“Go make me a nice dinner.” orders Stef.
“Yes Dear.” says Nicola as she obediently walks back into the house and into the kitchen.

“That was Natalie, appears her and Sheila have got their new guns and they are going to bring them here to show them off to us.”
Curly Pete nods his head that he understands unable to speak due to the mouthful of sausage he is eating. He and Steve had had a quiet morning after Dippa and Barney had left, Steve had volunteered to cook them a big fry up for dinner and Curly Pete could not refuse.
“I've been thinking about Dippa, I am not sure about him anymore.” says Steve after he had eaten and sips at his coffee.
“Yeah he ran away first sign of trouble, but it's more than that, you can see by his face that he now resents you telling him what to do.”
“I agree there, I have noticed he is getting the right hump lately.”
“What you gonna do, put him same place as Barry and his crowd?” asks Curly Pete hopefully. He hadn't liked Dippa from the beginning and over the years the dislike had grown.
“Might be an idea, I'll slap him around a bit when he gets here and see how loyal he really is.” smiles Steve grimly.
“You should rest and let me do it.”
“You will end up killing him, whatever happens.”
“Yeah you are right there.” laughs Curly Pete.
“I don't think that Dippa is the the main problem.” admits Steve.
“Who else then?” asks a mystified Curly Pete.
“Natalie and Sheila, they've been trying hard for years to become major players in our business and now to a certain extent they've succeeded. Only be a matter of time before they decide they don't want us around, they already make the mistake of using it and stuffing it up their nose and as you know then the thinking goes.”
Even though Steve had been the main cocaine dealer in this area for the last ten years he did not use it. When he first started dealing he had, but after a few short months life became complicated and it was Curly Pete who had helped him out of the hole he was digging for himself. Pete was not a user either; Steve had built up a good business over the years with his help when extra muscle was needed, which had been quite often. They had no conscience in the harmful substance they were selling, most of it was mixed with a lot of unknowns and the percentage of cocaine was very low, hence the aggressive behaviour that follows a ‘session‘. With Natalie and Sheila as partners Curly Pete thought he would have less to do, if they were using it; the aggression and madness is sure to follow and he and Steve would be some of the first to get involved!
They talk quietly of the cold bloodied way Sheila and Natalie had shot the three in his kitchen, of the money they had offered Steve towards the next shipment and the involvement that would bring. Steve was beginning to regret his decision to accept the money, though he did admit it all sounded like paranoia. He had known Sheila and Natalie for years and had always known they wanted to be a part of it, he couldn't see them doing anything wrong to mess that up.
The sound of a vehicle pulling in the drive about a half hour later stops any more talk