you spot an opportunity when youâre out and about. I canât see what you can have come up with thatâs got Kenny so excited, but if itâs good youâll get your money.â
The man stirred, shifted in his seat as he retrieved something from a pocket. A little screen popped into life in the gloom.
âA phone? I hope youâre not winding us up. Where did you nick it from?â
âI didnât, itâs mine.â Fingers swept over the surface of the phone and a movie clip started to play. âI want five thousand for this.â
âFive thousand? Youâre crazy.â
âWhen youâve watched it, youâll pay.â
âLet me see then.â Jackman leant over, trying not to inhale the mixture of bad breath and sweat.
Poor quality video played on the screen. Black and grey chunks of pixels swirling. Static on the audio track. That, and the sound of heavy breathing. Jackman was about to ask the man what the hell he was playing at when a bloom of light grew and danced in the centre of the picture as the camera zoomed and struggled to focus. Then the image steadied and Jackman was able to resolve the jumble of light and shadow. As the film ran on he realised this was dynamite, and a minute or so later when the clip finished he had to struggle to contain his excitement.
âGood, eh?â A finger touched the screen and the man pocketed the phone. âFive thousand.â
âHow the hell did you get that?â Jackman felt his heart beating, but tried to remain calm. âI mean, were you waiting there or what?â
âI was in the area on business. Thereâs a holiday home, couple from London. Theyâre down here every weekend and theyâve got careless. They started to leave a few things around the place and I spied them through the window. Thereâs a key under the flowerpot for the cleaner. Theyâve got the brains to earn all that money but really theyâre as thick as they come. Iââ
âAlright, I understand. Get on with it.â
âI heard an almighty smash as I was going through their stuff. When I rush out I see the car upside down. I recognised her immediately. I was about to make a run back into the woods when something made me stop. I whipped out the phone and started to film. Twenty minutes later the place was crawling with police, the fire brigade, ambos, everything. Thatâs when I legged it.â
âGive me the phone.â Jackman reached into his back pocket and extracted his wallet. Pulled out all the cash he had. Two fifties and a bunch of tens. âHere.â
âA couple of longâuns? You must be fucking joking.â
âI donât carry five K around. Youâll get the rest once Kennyâs seen it.â
âBut I need my phone. Anyway, how do I know I can trust you?â
âItâs not me, itâs Kenny. He plays fair. And when he doesnât play fair he sends someone round to kick your head in. You donât have a choice. Youâll get your phone back tomorrow.â
âAlright.â The man grunted, retrieved his phone and dumped it in Jackmanâs hand, in exchange for the money. âFive thousand. Remember?â
âSure,â Jackman said pushing the door open and gulping fresh air. âIâll be in touch.â
The engine started up as Jackman slammed the door and the car jerked forwards and then slewed out of the car park.
Jackman stood still for a moment. Let out a breath. Felt in his pocket for the phone. The smooth surface tingled the ends of his fingers, almost as if there was something magical about the object. He smiled, glanced up to the doggers at the top of the hill and then thought of the girl waiting for him back at his flat.
âYou lucky, lucky boy,â he said to himself as he climbed back into his car.
Chapter Six
Nr Bovisand, Plymouth. Tuesday 15th January. 6.45 a.m.
Tuesday morning, Savage was
The man stirred, shifted in his seat as he retrieved something from a pocket. A little screen popped into life in the gloom.
âA phone? I hope youâre not winding us up. Where did you nick it from?â
âI didnât, itâs mine.â Fingers swept over the surface of the phone and a movie clip started to play. âI want five thousand for this.â
âFive thousand? Youâre crazy.â
âWhen youâve watched it, youâll pay.â
âLet me see then.â Jackman leant over, trying not to inhale the mixture of bad breath and sweat.
Poor quality video played on the screen. Black and grey chunks of pixels swirling. Static on the audio track. That, and the sound of heavy breathing. Jackman was about to ask the man what the hell he was playing at when a bloom of light grew and danced in the centre of the picture as the camera zoomed and struggled to focus. Then the image steadied and Jackman was able to resolve the jumble of light and shadow. As the film ran on he realised this was dynamite, and a minute or so later when the clip finished he had to struggle to contain his excitement.
âGood, eh?â A finger touched the screen and the man pocketed the phone. âFive thousand.â
âHow the hell did you get that?â Jackman felt his heart beating, but tried to remain calm. âI mean, were you waiting there or what?â
âI was in the area on business. Thereâs a holiday home, couple from London. Theyâre down here every weekend and theyâve got careless. They started to leave a few things around the place and I spied them through the window. Thereâs a key under the flowerpot for the cleaner. Theyâve got the brains to earn all that money but really theyâre as thick as they come. Iââ
âAlright, I understand. Get on with it.â
âI heard an almighty smash as I was going through their stuff. When I rush out I see the car upside down. I recognised her immediately. I was about to make a run back into the woods when something made me stop. I whipped out the phone and started to film. Twenty minutes later the place was crawling with police, the fire brigade, ambos, everything. Thatâs when I legged it.â
âGive me the phone.â Jackman reached into his back pocket and extracted his wallet. Pulled out all the cash he had. Two fifties and a bunch of tens. âHere.â
âA couple of longâuns? You must be fucking joking.â
âI donât carry five K around. Youâll get the rest once Kennyâs seen it.â
âBut I need my phone. Anyway, how do I know I can trust you?â
âItâs not me, itâs Kenny. He plays fair. And when he doesnât play fair he sends someone round to kick your head in. You donât have a choice. Youâll get your phone back tomorrow.â
âAlright.â The man grunted, retrieved his phone and dumped it in Jackmanâs hand, in exchange for the money. âFive thousand. Remember?â
âSure,â Jackman said pushing the door open and gulping fresh air. âIâll be in touch.â
The engine started up as Jackman slammed the door and the car jerked forwards and then slewed out of the car park.
Jackman stood still for a moment. Let out a breath. Felt in his pocket for the phone. The smooth surface tingled the ends of his fingers, almost as if there was something magical about the object. He smiled, glanced up to the doggers at the top of the hill and then thought of the girl waiting for him back at his flat.
âYou lucky, lucky boy,â he said to himself as he climbed back into his car.
Chapter Six
Nr Bovisand, Plymouth. Tuesday 15th January. 6.45 a.m.
Tuesday morning, Savage was