Read Online Daring Dooz (The Implosion Trilogy (Book 2)) by Stan Arnold - Free Book Online
Authors: Stan Arnold
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training
in martial arts other types of advanced unarmed combat, she really didn't feel
the ‘handshake’ was much of an issue.
This was not the case at the local A&E, where
there had been a steady stream of unconscious solicitors arriving by ambulance
for the best part of the day.
She turned
the corner, tutted at the flashing neon tube, and put her key in the lock.
Aubrey was
asleep. Good. She changed out of her best frock and back into her pinny. No
time for a training session. There was one final call to make. A call that
would be best made while Aubrey was well out of it.
She went to
the mantelpiece and picked up Charlie Sumkin’s card - the one Vlad had so
kindly offered after the Vic incident.
As she
dialled the number, she sat down on the sofa. If it was going to be difficult,
she might as well be comfy.
Charlie
answered. ‘Yeah?’
‘Mr
Sumkins, hello…’
‘Who the
fuck is this and how did you get my private fuckin’ number?’ barked Charlie.
‘Vlad gave
it to me.’
‘What,’
said Charlie, in an even nastier tone, ‘you up the spout or got the pox? Shit!
I told him a million times, there’s a whole fuckin’ range of public medical services
available to the dodgy tarts he’s shaftin’.’
‘No, no. He
gave me your card - he said I handled myself very well.’
‘Look, what
that useless pervert chooses to watch when I’m not paying him is up to him. If
he gets off on watching you handle yourself, I couldn't give a toss.’
‘No,’ said
Mrs Hathaway, having absolutely no idea what Charlie was talking about, ‘I’m a
fighter - karate, kyusho, tae kwan do, aikido,
kung fu, hapkido and aiki jiu jitsu - that sort of thing.’
‘’Ang on a minute,’ said Charlie, ‘I fort for a minute there, we’d
got a crossed line with a Hong Kong brothel. Fighter? What d’you mean?’
‘Give me
five minutes tomorrow, and I’ll show you.’
‘Sorry
darlin’ but it ain’t that easy. I mean what did Vlad see ?’
‘Well, if
you must know, I knocked someone
out.’
‘Who?’
‘Vlad’s
twin brother, Vic.’
‘Vic!
You’re fucking jokin’ me darlin’. And how’d ya do that ? Hit him five times from behind with a crowbar while when was
pissed? Then dropped an anvil on his head? I tell ya, anythin’ less and he
wouldn’t have noticed.’
‘No, we
were boxing and I hit him with four uppercuts.’
There was a
short pause.
‘Well, I
know Vlad don't hand my card out to just anyone - he knows what would happen to him if he did. I’ll give you 10 minutes at 10
o’clock tomorrow.’
‘Thank you
very much Mr Sumkins, but that won't be necessary. It should only take five
minutes.’
‘Please
yourself.’ He put the receiver down.
Mrs
Hathaway smiled - part relief, part nervousness and part satisfaction that
everything was on track.
It was a
long shot, but she’d now gone too far to turn back.
By way of
reassurance, she stood up, walked over to her handbag, opened it and checked
her secret weapon was ready for action.
*
Now for
Aubrey. She woke him up, by shaking his shoulder, gently.
‘How are
you, my little Aubrey?’
Aubrey
looked up. His other nostril had reappeared, even though the multitude of
purple swellings around his eyes and mouth were still there. In general, he
looked as though 24 hours of sleep had done him some, if not a lot, of good.
‘Any grub
goin’?’ said Aubrey
‘Well, yes
there is?’ said Mrs Hathaway.
‘Good.
What?’ said Aubrey.
Years of
being beaten by Charlie Sumkins for saying the wrong things had severely
limited Aubrey’s powers of conversation. He equated the spoken word with pain.
‘Well you
know you said your favourite was mutton vindaloo with chana bhuna side extras
and some lager.’
Aubrey
nodded and started to dribble.
‘Well, on
my way home, I bought a take-away from that Indian restaurant in Frith Street.
I’ll pop it in the microwave.’
‘Good, ‘cos
all I had to eat when you was out was them apples. Disgustin’
in martial arts other types of advanced unarmed combat, she really didn't feel
the ‘handshake’ was much of an issue.
This was not the case at the local A&E, where
there had been a steady stream of unconscious solicitors arriving by ambulance
for the best part of the day.
She turned
the corner, tutted at the flashing neon tube, and put her key in the lock.
Aubrey was
asleep. Good. She changed out of her best frock and back into her pinny. No
time for a training session. There was one final call to make. A call that
would be best made while Aubrey was well out of it.
She went to
the mantelpiece and picked up Charlie Sumkin’s card - the one Vlad had so
kindly offered after the Vic incident.
As she
dialled the number, she sat down on the sofa. If it was going to be difficult,
she might as well be comfy.
Charlie
answered. ‘Yeah?’
‘Mr
Sumkins, hello…’
‘Who the
fuck is this and how did you get my private fuckin’ number?’ barked Charlie.
‘Vlad gave
it to me.’
‘What,’
said Charlie, in an even nastier tone, ‘you up the spout or got the pox? Shit!
I told him a million times, there’s a whole fuckin’ range of public medical services
available to the dodgy tarts he’s shaftin’.’
‘No, no. He
gave me your card - he said I handled myself very well.’
‘Look, what
that useless pervert chooses to watch when I’m not paying him is up to him. If
he gets off on watching you handle yourself, I couldn't give a toss.’
‘No,’ said
Mrs Hathaway, having absolutely no idea what Charlie was talking about, ‘I’m a
fighter - karate, kyusho, tae kwan do, aikido,
kung fu, hapkido and aiki jiu jitsu - that sort of thing.’
‘’Ang on a minute,’ said Charlie, ‘I fort for a minute there, we’d
got a crossed line with a Hong Kong brothel. Fighter? What d’you mean?’
‘Give me
five minutes tomorrow, and I’ll show you.’
‘Sorry
darlin’ but it ain’t that easy. I mean what did Vlad see ?’
‘Well, if
you must know, I knocked someone
out.’
‘Who?’
‘Vlad’s
twin brother, Vic.’
‘Vic!
You’re fucking jokin’ me darlin’. And how’d ya do that ? Hit him five times from behind with a crowbar while when was
pissed? Then dropped an anvil on his head? I tell ya, anythin’ less and he
wouldn’t have noticed.’
‘No, we
were boxing and I hit him with four uppercuts.’
There was a
short pause.
‘Well, I
know Vlad don't hand my card out to just anyone - he knows what would happen to him if he did. I’ll give you 10 minutes at 10
o’clock tomorrow.’
‘Thank you
very much Mr Sumkins, but that won't be necessary. It should only take five
minutes.’
‘Please
yourself.’ He put the receiver down.
Mrs
Hathaway smiled - part relief, part nervousness and part satisfaction that
everything was on track.
It was a
long shot, but she’d now gone too far to turn back.
By way of
reassurance, she stood up, walked over to her handbag, opened it and checked
her secret weapon was ready for action.
*
Now for
Aubrey. She woke him up, by shaking his shoulder, gently.
‘How are
you, my little Aubrey?’
Aubrey
looked up. His other nostril had reappeared, even though the multitude of
purple swellings around his eyes and mouth were still there. In general, he
looked as though 24 hours of sleep had done him some, if not a lot, of good.
‘Any grub
goin’?’ said Aubrey
‘Well, yes
there is?’ said Mrs Hathaway.
‘Good.
What?’ said Aubrey.
Years of
being beaten by Charlie Sumkins for saying the wrong things had severely
limited Aubrey’s powers of conversation. He equated the spoken word with pain.
‘Well you
know you said your favourite was mutton vindaloo with chana bhuna side extras
and some lager.’
Aubrey
nodded and started to dribble.
‘Well, on
my way home, I bought a take-away from that Indian restaurant in Frith Street.
I’ll pop it in the microwave.’
‘Good, ‘cos
all I had to eat when you was out was them apples. Disgustin’
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