Read Online White Riot by Martyn Waites - Free Book Online

away, at his glass, at the floor. Anywhere but at Jamal. ‘Kev found out an’ … an’ …’ Jason nodded to himself, his body rocking backwards and forwards, his face showing a growing incredulity at his words. He looked atthe ceiling, past the ceiling, his eyes unfocused. ‘Shit, I stabbed him …’
    Jamal watched him, concern on his face. ‘You stabbed him? Stabbed who?’
    ‘Kev. Bright.’ Jason’s eyes focused again. He gave a little giggle. ‘I’m the Butcher Boy.’
    ‘Right.’
    ‘I’m special.’
    Weirder by the minute, thought Jamal. ‘Who are they?’
    Jason looked at Jamal, frowned. ‘You fuckin’ stupid? You know who they are. On the news all the time.’
    ‘The NUP?’
    Jason nodded. ‘Aye,’ he said, pride in his voice. ‘An’ I’m one o’ them. A special one.’ A shadow seemed to pass over his face. ‘Well, I was.’
    ‘Keep goin’,’ said Jamal. ‘You were talkin’ about Kev. You stabbed him.’
    ‘Yeah. Well, anyway, he got me to cut him with the knife. Make it look good. I’m the Butcher Boy.’
    ‘You said. Then what?’
    ‘I ran.’
    ‘Here.’
    ‘Yeah. They chased us. I had to hide in trees an’ shit, like, sleep rough.’ He laughed with a child’s glee. ‘Like a proper fuckin’ survivalist, you know? Livin’ in woods. Then I had to find you, like. Took me a whole day.’
    Jason sat back, looking comfortable for the first time. ‘An’ here I am.’
    Jamal scrutinized him. ‘So why they wanna kill you, man?’
    ‘’Cos I’m special.’
    ‘You keep sayin’ that. How?’
    Jason shook his head. ‘Can’t tell you that.’
    ‘Why not?’
    ‘’Cos I’ll lose me money.’
    ‘What money?’
    ‘The money. I’ve had loads of time to think it through. It’s the plan. I’m gonna make loads of money. An’ you’re gonna help us.’
    Jamal frowned. ‘Jase, man, you’re makin’ as much sense as tits on bulls. What you on about?’
    Jason gave him the kind of look that ignorant people give intelligent ones when they believe they’re thick. Jamal would have been upset by that once, fought back against it. Not any more. He didn’t need to.
    ‘’Cos what I know, right, they don’t want anyone else to know. Anyone. So we blackmail them.’
    ‘Blackmail.’
    Jason nodded. ‘Aye. You see?’
    Jamal was beginning to regret letting him into the house. He wished Donovan were back. ‘So if I’m supposed to be helpin’ you, shouldn’t I know what you’re talkin’ about?’
    ‘Not yet. ’Cos if I tell you now you’ll run off with it an’ make money.’
    ‘Why would I do that?’
    Another retarded, incredulous look at Jamal. ‘’Cos you buy and sell information, like it says on the card. If you had the information you wouldn’t need me. I’m not thick.’
    ‘Right.’ Jamal definitely regretted bringing him into the house. He nodded, pretending to think it over. Suddenly the Wednesday night of earlier didn’t seem so boring after all.
    ‘Listen,’ said Jamal, ‘there ain’t no information brokerage no more. It’s gone.’
    Jason frowned. ‘So why d’you give us the card?’
    Jamal shrugged. ‘Frontin’.’
    Jason said nothing.
    ‘Tell you what,’ said Jamal, ‘why don’t you come back when the boss is here, yeah?’
    ‘The boss?’
    ‘Joe Donovan. This is his house. He be back tomorrow, we can sort it then.’
    Jason jumped up, suddenly agitated. ‘No,’ he said, ‘no, we can’t. Has to be you. No one else.’
    ‘Why not?’
    ‘He’ll take the money, won’t he? Take it away. Might even be in with them.’
    ‘Don’t think so, man. Not Joe.’
    Jason laughed. ‘Aye. Not takin’ the chance, like.’
    ‘OK,’ said Jamal, standing up. From his brief acquaintance at Father Jack’s he remembered that Jason wasn’t the sharpest tool in the box. Obviously something had happened to him since then, made him worse. Drink, drugs, whatever. That, coupled with the earlier abuse, must have sent him over. He had seen it happen