The House on Boundary Street by Tea Cooper

Author:Tea Cooper
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Escape Publishing
Published: 2020-06-14T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

The raucous shouts and waving arms blurred in Ted’s vision while he danced his way across the canvas taking the bets.

‘Come in, Spinner!’

He stood back and waited for the coins to fall. Friday night and every man and his dog were out to make a quick quid or two. The stakes were always higher on a Friday, full pay packets and wishful thinking. The coins twinkled in the glow of the single overhead light bulb and fell with a soft thud onto the canvas.

‘Place your bets.’ Ted made a circuit, exchanging coins and lining up the bets.

‘Five shillings. Heads.’

‘Quid on tails.’

Over the bridge of his nose Ted caught a flash of ten-shilling notes. He pushed his hat back off his face and twisted his head to compensate for the lack of sight on his right side. A thick wad of notes waved in the air and he took two quick strides across the mat. A bullet-headed bloke rammed the cash back in his pocket and stared across the canvas at nothing in particular.

‘Want to place a bet, mate?’

‘Nope. Next toss.’ The man’s stare remained riveted on the other side of the betting ring.

Ted spun around and caught a raised hand falling above the crowded heads. By the time he turned back to the ring the man with the money had disappeared. A cold finger traced a path down his spine, a warning he’d learnt to respect. He pivoted back, squinting through the darkness to the outside edge of the circle where small groups of punters stood waiting for Lady Luck to whisper in their ear.

Bullet Head had vanished too. Shrugging his shoulders, he returned to the ring in time to hear the bets called again. A harsh nasal drawl caught his attention and sure enough Bullet Head reappeared on the other side of the ring. A long lanky man with a pencil-thin moustache sidled up to him.

‘One of each.’ Bullet Head waved his wad of notes and they disappeared into the lanky guy’s pocket. Then he left.

Left?

Why would he leave his bet before the toss? Before he found out if he’d won. As good as gave the money to the lanky bloke.

Should he go after him or stay? He hovered on the outskirts of the canvas.

‘Come in, Spinner!’

The two coins tumbled through the air. Without further thought he barrelled through the crowd to the annoyed grunts of the punters. He almost tripped over Bullet Head, who stood leaning against the wall, a satisfied grin on his fat lips. Ted reefed his hat off and spun again, trying to extend his field of vision. The lanky bloke, the moneyman, had vanished.

Ted pushed his way through the crowded hallway towards the front door in time to hear it click shut. He eased his way over the mass of slumped bodies and empty beer bottles to the bouncer on the door.

‘You’re leaving early.’

‘They’ve got enough people there to stack an ANZAC parade. I’ll be back tomorrow.’ The calmness in his voice belied the pounding in his chest.

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