Read Online Toxic Treacle by Echo Freer - Free Book Online

his whereabouts on the night and whether or not he knew one Marlon Griffiths - the false name he’d given old Mov Bailey - but they’d seemed satisfied with his answers. He knew Professor Reed suspected that he knew more about the whereabouts of the Pattersons than he was letting on, but he couldn’t prove anything.
    The other Mooners also plied him with questions about their mate, to which Monkey could, in all honesty, shrug and say, ‘Dunno.’ But, outside school, they were becoming increasingly irritated with his lack of participation in their forays into other hoods.
    â€˜We’re storming Eastway tonight. You up?’ Kraze asked him on the Friday evening as they walked home from school.
    Monkey gave a casual shrug. ‘Neh. I’m fridge.’
    â€˜So, what’s happenin’ with you, Monk?’ the hood leader challenged. ‘This has been, like, every night for a week you’ve bottled.’
    Monkey eyeballed him, affronted. ‘I haven’t bottled ,’ he said evenly, determined not to show that he was rattled by the inference that he was afraid to accompany them into enemy hoods. ‘I have other stuff to deal with.’
    â€˜What other stuff ?’ Kraze was smirking but Monkey knew that, inside, he would be bricking it. He wasn’t confident as leader and needed Monkey’s backing when they went out of their zone. ‘You still frettin’ over Tradge?’ He gave a laugh and turned round to the rest of the hood, ridiculing Monkey to gain their respect.
    â€˜Just stuff,’ Monkey stated firmly, standing his ground; aware that a small crowd had gathered. The tension was almost palpable.
    â€˜You snakin’ on us?’ Kraze had his hands in his pockets and was fumbling with something - possibly a blade, Monkey thought. He needed to be careful: the last thing he wanted was to alienate his own and, if Kraze convinced the others that Monkey was a turncoat, he’d be watching his back even on his own turf. The rest of the Mooners moved closer. Monkey looked round. With less than eight weeks until he turned sixteen, he was easily the eldest. Some of them, like Angel’s brother, Alex, were still practically bubs. But he also knew that there was strength in numbers: he knew he had to play it fridge.
    Monkey held out both hands as a gesture of openness showing that he had no weapon. He spoke lightly, almost teasingly. ‘Hey, cuz, what’s with the screw face? This is me you’re scanting. I don’t do snakin’, you know that. I’m a Mooner till I grad. But, right now, I’ve got some anguish going on that’s personal - sav?’ He forced himself to breathe evenly as he waited for Kraze’s response, never lowering his stare.
    Kraze drew the blade from his pocket and spun it in his fingers, watching it glint in the pale afternoon sunlight. He nodded slowly, as though mulling over Monkey’s words. ‘That’s good, cuz - ‘cos I’d hate to think you’d been raggin’ me. You know what I mean?’
    Still maintaining eye contact, Monkey nodded. ‘I’m glad we understand each other.’ He held out his hand and Kraze brushed it briefly. ‘Take it easy, all right?’
    With a nonchalance belying the anxiety he was feeling, Monkey turned and walked away. No sooner had he left the rest of the hood, than his ring-cam flashed on and Angel’s face appeared on the screen.
    â€˜That was impressive,’ she said.
    Monkey was puzzled. ‘Where are you?’ He looked round but could see no sign of her.
    â€˜By the wall.’
    Again Monkey looked round but could only see someone in Mooners’ garb leaning against a high wall at the other side of the road, hood pulled low and scarf high to obscure any facial features.
    Looking back to the face on the ring-cam, he saw that she had covered her face. ‘Nice touch. How d’you get away with it?’ he