Read Online No Holds Barred by Lyndon Stacey - Free Book Online Page B

it’s difficult to be as thorough as I’d like. God, you’ve got me thinking now  . . .’
    â€˜I’m sorry. Look, it may be nothing, and if the business is doing OK, that’s the main thing. Don’t worry about it.’
    â€˜Well, we’re certainly busy at the moment. In fact, Boyd is out with one of the lorries tonight, doing a bit of overtime. Whatever you think of him, you can’t fault his enthusiasm.’
    â€˜Mm.’ Daniel decided to sit on the previous night’s conversation for the time being.
    The following day was Friday, and after a long day in the cab, Daniel was making a cup of coffee for himself and one for Dean, who was so far the only other occupant of the drivers’ room.
    â€˜Will he let me stroke him?’ the youngster asked, looking at Taz, who characteristically lay on the room’s only piece of carpet.
    â€˜I expect so, if you introduce yourself,’ Daniel said, carrying the two mugs over to the sofa.
    â€˜Introduce? Seriously? No, you’re having me on,’ Dean’s pale skin flushed with colour.
    â€˜I’m not. But I don’t mean it literally – just use his name and let him see what you’re about to do. Don’t surprise him.’
    â€˜Oh, I see.’ Dean looked at the German shepherd. ‘All right, Taz?’
    The dog responded by lifting his head and returning the look, and, thus encouraged, Dean leaned forward and stroked the thick fur on his head.
    â€˜He’s lovely,’ the youngster said reverentially.
    â€˜Do you have a dog of your own, Dean?’
    â€˜Nah, my old man won’t have one in the house. When I get my own place I will, though. Can’t tell me what to do then, can he?’
    Daniel agreed that he couldn’t.
    â€˜What made you want to work here?’ he asked, after a moment.
    â€˜I love the trucks, don’t I?’ he said, still fussing over the dog. ‘I’m qualified to drive the big ones, but Mr Summers says the insurance is too expensive while I’m so young. He says I need to get some miles under my belt first, so I just drive the van.’
    â€˜I’ve never met Mr Summers. What’s he like?’
    â€˜He’s all right. You know where you are with him and he treats you right.’
    â€˜But Taylor doesn’t?’
    â€˜I didn’t say that!’ Dean sat up abruptly, the dog forgotten. ‘You can’t say I did.’
    â€˜Calm down. I’m not saying anything to anybody. It was just an observation.’ Daniel took a sip of his coffee, eyeing the younger man thoughtfully. ‘So you’re happy here? Taylor hasn’t made things difficult for you, or asked you to do anything out of the ordinary?’
    â€˜No.’ Dean’s pale eyes opened wide. ‘I ain’t got no complaints.’
    â€˜OK. That’s good, then.’
    A heavy silence reigned for a short while. Dean gulped his drink and looked at his feet, and Daniel just waited.
    â€˜Have you, like, heard something?’ Dean said eventually. ‘About Taylor, I mean.’
    â€˜No. Nothing. I was just curious. Actually, I wondered why the driver who was here before me left. Did he fall out with Taylor?’ He had learned from Jenny that two drivers had left since Boyd came on the scene, and he was more than curious to find out why.
    â€˜I dunno.’ His body language proclaimed it a lie as surely as any polygraph could have.
    â€˜OK. Never mind. I just wondered if you knew him.’
    Dean hesitated and then, apparently deciding that no harm could come from disclosing the information, said, ‘Yeah, I did. His name was Mal Fletcher. He was all right, he was. Used to live in the village but he’s moved on now.’
    â€˜Oh, right.’ Daniel would have liked to milk the youngster for more, but the others were due back at any moment and he could well imagine that Dean’s body language would set Boyd