Read Online Only the Brave by Mel Sherratt - Free Book Online Page A

he’d been at Car Wash City and the bat disposed of so it was safe to take it home now. He parked on Ford Green Road, noticing a few more neighbours’ vehicles nearby. For a moment he sat looking across at Harrison House, wondering whether anyone there knew anything .
    Had someone come across Jordan, seen the money nearby and run off with the stash? And if so, why only ten grand of it? Or had someone killed Jordan because they knew he would have a bag full of money, and then taken some of it from him?
    Another thought crossed his mind. Could Jordan have taken some of the money himself? Maybe he had conned them all.
    And what of the mystery woman that Jordan was knocking off from here? He went through a list of possibilities as to who it might be. She’d probably be quite young, definitely good-looking and maybe a little bit classy – which ruled out half the women in the flats. The other half would be too old, were single with kids or had partners, although that hadn’t stopped some of them from straying.
    One thing he knew for certain was that it wouldn’t be anything to do with Stella. There was no way someone like Jordan would look at his wife – even he found her repulsive at times. She hardly wore any makeup – most days she would slob around the house pretending not to stuff her face on titbits as she was on this latest diet fad, rather than get off her arse and do some exercise to keep everything working. And her job in the local chippie didn’t do her any favours at all. But she was always good for an alibi. And she had a nose for gossip.
    He and Stella had lived at Harrison House for the past eight years. Between them they knew most of the tenants. Staring at the windows now, he crossed off the ones that didn’t fit the bill. He ignored a lot of the families and couples. Discounting Stella, that left two women he could think of. Leah, the dozy bitch who was Stella’s best friend, and that posh bird who had moved in next door a few months ago. He knew where he was hedging his money. And he knew just the person to ask to find out.

9.30 A.M.
    Craig kept his head down as he made his way back to the flat. Near to the path they had cordoned off with crime scene tape, he saw Stella. If he threw her a line, she would go fishing for him.
    He strode over to her. ‘I want a word with you.’ He grabbed her arm and marched her away from the crowd. Out of ear range, he turned to face her. ‘What have you heard?’
    ‘Not a lot.’ Stella shook her head, pulling her arm free. ‘The police won’t say who it is.’
    ‘Who found him?’
    ‘Rita Pritchard. She was taking that mutt of hers out for –’
    ‘Has anyone questioned you yet?’
    ‘Only while I was here. They said they’d be coming to see us both together though.’
    He nodded. ‘Let me know if anything else happens.’
    But Stella wouldn’t let it rest. ‘Why all the interest?’ she asked.
    Craig glanced around furtively to make sure that no one was near enough to hear him. ‘It’s Jordan Johnson.’
    Stella’s hand shot to her mouth and her eyes widened. ‘Shit.’
    ‘Keep it shut for now.’ He pointed at her, inches away from her face. ‘I’ll know if you’ve said anything.’
    ‘You can trust me.’
    Craig glared at her for a moment, feeling her crumbling under his gaze.
    ‘Rumour has it that he was knocking off someone in the flats.’
    ‘No way!’ Stella’s eyes widened again.
    ‘Find out what you can and tell me as soon as you hear something .’
    ‘Okay.’
    He let her go and jogged up the stairs, past several neighbours and a few uniformed officers knocking on the ground floor properties . Once inside the flat, he flopped into the armchair and held his head in his hands. All at once the enormity of how much trouble he was in came crashing down around him.
    If he didn’t get the missing money back, it was a question of who would come after him first – Steve Burgess, Ryan Johnson or someone sent by Terry Ryder.
    He’d have