Facing the Music by Brian Smith

Author:Brian Smith [Smith, Brian]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction - Thriller
ISBN: 9781742983769
Publisher: Sid Harta Publishers
Published: 2013-11-04T05:00:00+00:00

10

The shrill insistence of his phone woke Mike from a troubled sleep. ‘Yeah,’ he said groggily.

‘Mike, it’s Mary.’

‘Yeah,’ he repeated, more awake now and conscious of a dull ache in his head.

‘Shane hasn’t come home.’

Mike glanced at the clock radio beside the bed. It was showing 5.46.

‘Who is it?’ Lissa asked sleepily.

He put his hand on her shoulder to silence her. ‘When did you last see him?’ he asked.

‘Did you call him last night?’

‘No.’

‘But you saw him yesterday afternoon at the gym,’ Mary insisted.

‘What’s going on?’ Lissa asked.

‘Just a tick,’ he said to Mary and took the phone from his ear. ‘It’s Mary. Shane went out last night and hasn’t come home.’

He returned to the phone.

‘Maybe he’s had a night out with his mates and is sleeping it off somewhere. I wouldn’t get too worried just yet.’

‘Shane said you came into the gym yesterday and made a silly fuss. He made a joke of it, but I could tell he was really pissed off with you and I didn’t blame him. What did you say to him?’

‘Only the usual about not hurting you. You can’t go on like this, Mary. Lissa told you the same.’ He felt Lissa squirm in the bed beside him.

‘I’ll do what I damn well want without your interference,’ Mary snapped back. ‘Are you sure you didn’t call him?’

‘Of course I’m sure. Why do you keep asking?’

‘Somebody did and Shane got really annoyed. He said something like, “I’ve told you already, you’ve got it all wrong.” After he hung up he told me he had to go and sort something out. He didn’t say what it was but, when he was leaving, he said to me, “That brother of yours is a pest.” Mike, I’m worried. Did you meet him again last night?’

Mike thought of the beating Bruno had given him. Was Shane supposed to be there as well, or was it Shane the two of them were going to meet?

‘No, I was being mugged by one of his mates.’ Anger welled up inside him. ‘Did Shane organise that?’

‘Are you OK? What happened?’

Already ashamed of sounding off, Mike said, ‘I’m OK. You shouldn’t worry too much about Shane.’

‘Do you think he might have been hurt? I should check the hospitals.’

‘You could do that, but see if he turns up at work first. I’ll call you later.’

As he put down the phone, Lissa exploded. ‘Don’t use me to prop up your arguments with Mary. You never learn. I shouldn’t have said a word to you about her. I know you’ve had a bang on the head, but really!’

‘Sorry.’

‘Don’t sorry me. What’s the story with Shane?’ After Mike had told her what Mary had said, toning down her complaints about his interference, Lissa exploded again. ‘You didn’t tell me you’d been to see Shane.’

‘There wasn’t time. We were at the concert, then a quick meal with the kids and I was off again.’

‘How’s your head?’ Lissa leaned over him. ‘The cut on your eye doesn’t seem too bad, although there’s some nice colour in the bruise on your forehead.

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