Read Online Fine Lines - SA by Simon Beckett - Free Book Online Page B

"No, not real y. I was just making it up." There was a moment's stunned silence. Then everyone burst out laughing.
    "So al that was just bul shit? Honestly?" asked the blond boy. Marty nodded.
    "Complete bul shit." He smiled across at Zeppo. "Wasn't it?" Zeppo smiled tightly back at him. "Yes." He relaxed and grinned.
    "Serves me right for being pushy." I wondered if anyone else could see how angry he was. I was so pleased I took a drink of beer before I remembered what it was. Marty had done himself no favours. Zeppo was not the sort to take humiliation lightly. Now he had a grudge to help motivate him. As the conversation ran on, centring now on Marty, Zeppo stood up and went towards the toilet. I fol owed him.
    "If I were you, I would be inclined to keep the contest purely physical in future," I murmured as we went in.
    "Oh, piss off," he said, and locked himself in a cubicle.

Chapter Six
    By halfway through the next week, I had heard two pieces of gossip stemming from that evening. One was good, one bad. The bad came from Miriam. She came into the gal ery on Monday afternoon, brimming with apologies and scandal.
    "You're becoming quite a regular visitor," I said.
    "I know. I'l be buying one of your bloody paintings next. Is there any chance of a coffee? I'd kil for some caffeine."
    "I'l get it," Anna said.
    Miriam flopped down into a chair. "I've come to apologise."
    "Whatever for?"
    "Saturday bloody night. It was awful."
    "Of course it wasn't!" I lied.
    "Donald, we both know perfectly wel it was. And I want to apologise for Jessica, as wel . She's a bloody pain in the neck sometimes. And that was one of them. Thanks, Anna." She took the coffee. "No, I should have known better than to expose innocents to her when she's in one of those moods. She can be awful y nice sometimes, but you wouldn't think so from hearing her going off then. I could have cheerful y strangled her."
    "She was rather overbearing. But you can't hold yourself responsible for your guests."
    "Wel , perhaps not. But it was my fault for inviting her in the first place. I thought there might be some friction between her and Zeppo, but I didn't expect her to go for his throat. I didn't realise he was a model, and as soon as I heard him say that, I knew we were in for it."
    "She did seem to take a dislike to him," Anna said, grinning. Miriam snorted.
    "I would imagine it was mutual. I real y could have kil ed her."
    "Oh, I wouldn't worry too much about it if I were you," I said. "I don't think Zeppo's the type to be easily upset."
    She hesitated. "No, so I've heard," she said, pointedly. "How do you come to know him, anyway?" I was instantly wary. "Through mutual friends, real y."
    "He's not a close friend of yours, or anything, then?"
    "Wel , I don't suppose I've known him very long, but he seems likeable enough," I said, torn between endorsing him and not wanting to be too closely affiliated in case she knew something incriminating.
    "Ah." Miriam sipped her coffee. It was clear she had information to divulge. I was by no means sure I wanted to hear it. Certainly not then, in front of Anna. But it would have seemed unnatural not to ask.
    "Why?" I hoped I sounded casual. Miriam put her cup down. I could see that nothing could have prevented her tel ing us anyway.
    "Oh, I just wondered. I was talking to someone yesterday who knew him.
    Or knew of him, at any rate."
    "Who was that?"
    "An old friend of mine. He went out with her niece for a while." I was relieved. Whatever she knew, it was not the same information I had. That would have been disastrous. "I gather she told you something about him?"
    "She did indeed. According to her, he's a real monster. Gave her niece a terrible time. Walked al over her, let her know he was seeing other girls. Al sorts of things. Final y, the sil y girl threatened to cut her wrists. I suppose she was hoping to frighten him. The next day she had a parcel delivered. A packet of razor blades in a red velvet box." I instinctively