The Norway Room by Mick Scully

Author:Mick Scully
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Profile Books

22

Ashley looked at the kid in the mirror. He could do anything. Like posh kids can. Anything. And get away with it. He flicked his head – and the fringe flopped. Cool. He did it again. Then turned his head to look at himself side-on. He picked up his schoolbag, felt the weight of books, football boots. Five minutes, Kieran had said when he rang. Be fucking ready, he said. That was ten minutes ago. Easily ten minutes ago.

He dragged himself away from the mirror and went downstairs to wait. Kieran hadn’t said anything about money yet, except that he would be looked after – and Ashley hadn’t asked. But he wanted a good wad. This must be big, whatever it was. They wouldn’t be going to so much trouble if what he was doing wasn’t an important part of it. So. He wanted enough to get a good laptop, and some clothes. He hardly let himself think it – like the posh kid would wear.

He heard the front door go. Kieran grinned when he saw Ashley. ‘Fucking hell, Ash. You look like you can read and write. The glasses look good. Right brainbox. How you feeling?’

‘Okay.’

‘Ready for this?’

‘Yeah.’

‘Here.’ He handed Ashley a mobile. ‘Put this in your bag. You ring me on this. I’m keyed in.’ He sort of smiled. ‘And you don’t get to keep it afterwards.’ And in that attempt at a smile Ashley saw that Kieran was on edge, and he was pleased to realise that he himself wasn’t nervous at all, in fact he was excited, and looking forward to the job. It seemed more than just a couple of weeks ago that he had lain on the settee crying with fear at what he had let himself in for. Now he was different. If he did this well everything could change for him.

‘Come on then. Time to go.’

Ashley looked at the new watch Kieran had given him. It was two-thirty.

‘I’m parked-up down here,’ Kieran told him, ‘on the corner. The Megane; nothing too flash today.’

It was as they were crossing the road to the car that Geezbo turned the corner. Still in his shorts, he was wearing a zebra-patterned hoodie. He tossed his head so that the hood fell back, revealing his side-on baseball cap. He looked straight at Ashley. Ashley froze. Kieran looked from Ashley to the boy in the long baggy shorts. It took Geezbo a moment to convince himself that the boy before him was actually Ashley. He looked at Kieran. At the car. At Kieran again. ‘Fuck man! Whaz goin’ on? Wha’ you dressed up like thiz for, man?’

Ashley didn’t know what to say. ‘I’m going to school,’ was the best he could manage, and he knew how stupid it sounded before Geezbo came back with, ‘Two a clock in dee fuckin’ aftanoon? You gonna school? Time-keepin’ might not be your ting, man,’ he sneered, ‘but you ain’t goin’ to no school at two in dee aftanoon.’ All of Geezbo’s instincts were at work, and both Ashley and Kieran recognised this.

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