A Killer Amongst Us by Mark West

Author:Mark West [West, Mark]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-09-02T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21

Martin, Five Weeks Ago

The Spot-On snooker club on Montagu Street looked like it hadn’t been updated since the eighties and a portrait of Steve Davis looked down on them as Martin followed Gordy upstairs.

The hall was a large, murky room that smelled of onions, rancid cooking oil and body odour. Three of the tables were occupied and the lights above the greens looked pale and sickly. The windows were all covered with black plastic.

Martin knew he was making a mistake but couldn’t see any other way out. Everyone, it seemed, had heard about the blackballing and he had no other viable way of raising money.

“This is your last chance to turn around,” Gordy said.

“I can’t. Olivia facetimed us last night about a trip that would be really useful for her course.” It was a fortnight in Berlin giving her on-the-job training and valuable experience, but it cost five thousand pounds. “She’s working every shift McDonald’s will give her but there’s no way she could afford it. Jo agreed to help her out.”

“You still haven’t told her?”

Martin shook his head. “That moment’s passed. I need the money.”

“I understand but this is a big deal, Martin. Tommy McLain doesn’t work for HSBC or NatWest.”

“I’m not an idiot, Gordy. They wouldn’t help me anyway.”

“Did you even ask them?”

“Of course I did.” The phone calls had been painful and embarrassing as the banks pointed out his past reckless behaviour still hindered him. “They’re not interested.”

“I’m trying to warn you because you’re not as streetwise as you like to think you are. If you don’t honour the terms with Mr McLain then you won’t be getting polite letters or term arrangements to pay off the money. You’ll have to pay it come what may.”

“And I will.”

“I don’t think you properly understand, but if you’re sure,” said Gordy.

He led them to the bar. A bored-looking woman with bleached blonde hair stood behind the counter wiping a glass over with a cloth that looked like it should be burned. She barely gave them a glance. Off to one side of the counter was a door marked ‘private’. Gordy stood in front of it and raised his hand.

The door opened before he could knock and a tall thin man with very closely cropped white hair glared at Gordy and then at Martin. “You haven’t got an appointment, Gordy.”

“I know, Sandy. But we want to see Mr McLain.”

Sandy’s lip twitched as he gave a little shrug. “I got to ask.” He closed the door then opened it again a few moments later. “Come on.”

They went into a long, narrow room with a wide desk at the far end. A large window behind it looked out over Hadlington. A man in a suit with thinning grey hair sat behind the desk. He was on a landline phone and waved Gordy and Martin to seats in front of the desk. Sandy sat at a chair by the door and picked up a newspaper.

Martin sat down. The man on the phone

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