Read Online A Kind of Hush by Richard A. Johnson - Free Book Online Page A

and do what you have to do.'
    I promised her that I would get some money to help with Jen's keep.
    'Don't be silly,' she said. 'Chef left me well-provided for, I've got money coming out of my ears. Anyway, you know very well that Chef would want me to do this.'

    I thanked her and gave her a hug.
    Jen came back and I told her what the plan was. Beryl helped by explaining that she wouldn't let her out of her sight and that she was perfectly safe as no one but the three of us would ever know where she was. She then made Jen laugh by flexing her muscles and saying, 'And if anyone is fool enough to try, then they will have to walk over me first.'
    I kissed them both and left.
    I was back at the hotel by one in the morning. I parked up the van and walked over to the staff entrance. It was pitch black. I was trying to find the keyhole when I was grabbed from behind and slammed against the door. A hand pushed my face hard into the wood and a voice said, 'Where is she?'
    'Who?' I asked, trying to sound innocent.
    'Don't fuck with me,' said the voice.
    'I don't know what you're talking about,' I said.
    'The red dress, where's the girl?' he said and something whacked across the back of my legs.
    'Honest ... I ... I don't know what you mean,' I said, trying hard to control the pain.
    He spun me around and shoved a knife under my nose. 'Your name's Stewart, her name's Jenny. She's your sister and you took her tonight. Sally told us . . . eventually.'
    I heard a chuckle off to my left. Sally, I remembered, was the girl who let Jen go with me. I wondered what they had done to her.
    'What do you want?' I asked.
    'I want to cut your throat,' said the voice and the chuckler started again.
    'Where . . . is . . . she?' he growled.

    'I. . . I. . . don't know,' I stammered.
    'Oh well, your loss/ he said. 'Say ta ta to your knees.'
    A figure loomed up in front of me, he had what looked like a baseball-bat in his hands. Just as he raised it above his head, lights flooded the car park. I screwed my eyes shut and gritted my teeth preparing myself for the pain that I was about to feel. Just then the door behind me began to move.
    Til be back,' hissed the voice and he disappeared.
    I fell backwards into the arms of the night porter and passed out.
    I awoke on the settee in the manager's office. I was shaking like a leaf and the backs of my legs hurt like hell. The night porter had dragged me in there before deciding what to do. He gave me some water and asked me if I wanted to call the police.
    'No . . . no . . . erm . . . don't call them,' I said. Til be okay.'
    'You sure,' he said. 'Those people didn't sound too nice.'
    'Yeah, it's okay,' I said. 'It was just a misunderstanding. Thanks anyway, Sam.'
    'Okay,' he said, 'it's your life. But if the guvnor hears about this, he's not gonna be any too pleased.'
    'Don't worry, Sam,' I said. 'It won't happen again, sorry to have bothered you, mate.'
    'No bother to me, mate,' he said. 'You just livened up an otherwise boring night.'
    'Thanks, Sam,' I said again. T think I'll go up to bed.'
    I got up and walked, no limped, to the lift, my legs felt like they were on fire. In my mind the voice hissing Til be back' was playing over and over again.

    I got to my room, dropped my jeans and checked the backs of my legs. Straight across both calf muscles and curving round to the outside of my right one was one massive great vivid blue and red bruise. I thought that I was lucky not to have two broken legs.
    I went to the pay-phone in the hall and called Mick. I spoke to him for a few seconds, went back to my room and threw a few things into a bag. Then I wrote a short note and pinned it to the back of my door. I climbed through the window, took a long look down at the square, moved around to the side of the building and shinned down the fire escape to the first floor and waited.
    Ten or fifteen minutes later a battered old Toyota pulled up outside. I slid down the last few feet, crouched and listened for a couple of