Read Online The Front by Mandasue Heller - Free Book Online Page B

reached for the phone and dialled his number, resting his burning forehead against the cool wall as he waited for Wendy to answer.
            Behind him, Ged was still trying to change Mal’s mind about sending Suzie out. ‘It’s wrong, man. What if she gets pulled?’
            Mal looked up from the money slowly, his eyes narrowed with suspicion. ‘Why are you so bothered about her all of a sudden? What’s it to you, eh? You gone sweet on my woman now, have you?’
            ‘Give me strength!’ Ged snorted, shaking his head as he stared off into space.
            ‘Well?’ Mal persisted, sure he’d stumbled across the real reason for Ged’s concern. ‘Want a piece, do you? Not got none of your own now, so you just thought you’d help yourself to a little piece of mine, eh?’
            ‘Behave yourself,’ snapped Ged. ‘You know me better than that!’ Snatching his cigarettes off the table, he lit one and blew a fierce stream of smoke at the carpet. Mal was pissing him off – big time! But no good would come of ripping the little shit’s head off his shoulders – no matter how much he’d like to do just that. Tapping ash onto his knee, he rubbed it in slowly and struggled to regain his calm.
            ‘Look,’ he said eventually. ‘Just think about it, will you? It’s not just your head on the line if she gets pulled, is it? She’s only a kid. She won’t stand a chance if the police get hold of her.’
            Mal shrugged. ‘She might be young, but she’s not stupid. She knows how to keep her mouth shut.’
            Ged gritted his teeth. ‘But she shouldn’t have to. It’s nothing to do with her.’
            Mal frowned. He just wanted to count the money, but he couldn’t concentrate with Ged moaning like a little old woman. ‘Look, just chill out, will you?’ he snapped. ‘Everything’s gonna be fine. For God’s sake, look!’ He swept a hand across the money. ‘We’ve got a shed-load of dosh, and you’re still not happy. What’s up your arse tonight? A fucking wasp?’
            Ged looked away in disgust as Mal laughed at his own joke.
            ‘Wendy, I’ve told you . . . I can’t!’ Sam whined into the phone behind them. ‘No, don’t, Wendy! Oh, shit!’
            Slamming the receiver down, he flopped heavily down on the floor next to Mal and plucked at a loose thread in the carpet. ‘She’s coming over.’
            ‘You what?’ Mal stared at him. ‘She can’t!’
            Sam blushed and lowered his eyes. ‘I tried to tell her that, but she wasn’t having it.’ Grabbing one of the bundles off the table, he ran his thumb through it, mumbling into his chest: ‘You know what she’s like.’
            ‘Great. That’s all we need,’ Ged muttered darkly.
            ‘Ah, well . . .’ Mal shrugged and turned back to the money. ‘Too late to worry now. We’d better just get this little lot sorted before she gets here.’ Picking the largest wad up, he threw it to Ged with a grin. ‘Here, you miserable bastard . . . Count that!’
            Catching it, Ged fingered the money with a heavy sigh, then reluctantly started counting.
            They fell silent as they immersed themselves in the task, the only sound in the room the noisy licking of fingers as they carefully flipped back the layers of notes.
            In the background, the front door clicked shut as Suzie let herself out. None of them noticed.
            After a while, Sam looked up, his eyes glittering brightly as thoughts of Wendy’s impending arrival were overtaken by greed. ‘There’s three thousand, two hundred here,’ he whispered.
            ‘And I’ve got two thou six,’ Mal whooped joyfully, pushing another bundle across the table to Sam. ‘What’s that come to, Ged?’
            ‘Five eight,’ said Ged, without looking up from the wad he was halfway through. ‘And I’ve counted twelve up to