Read Online With Love and Squalor by Nigel Bird - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Nigel Bird
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Wanted to leave right then, but remembered why he was there.
All he had to do was find the room, beat the crap out of Mulligan and get out in one piece.
The layout was the same as his house. Made things easy.
First bedroom on the left Ramie Boyle had told him.
He walked to the top of the stairs, remembered the joke about leaving the landing light on and chuckled.
Then he stopped.
A door opened.
Light spilled onto Jimmy like he was on the stage.
A spectral figure appeared before him.
Beneath a full-length nightie, an old woman’s silhouette was all too clear. The way her tits sagged and her skin drooped was enough to put him off sex for life. Her skinny arms were all wrinkles and sores and her face cream looked like it had been bought for Trick or Treating. And she stood right in the way of Jimmy’s exit.
“Declan. Darling,” she said, her hand reaching out. “I knew you’d be back.”
She touched his cheek. Jimmy freaked.
“Paedo!”
He threw his head forward with all the force he could muster. It connected with the bridge of her nose.
The lady dropped at his feet like he was the Messiah.
“Bloody hell. He knew better than to hurt a woman unless she was attacking him. His dad would kill him if he found out.
Springing over the banister, he saw the door ahead as he came to land.
If the floor hadn’t given beneath him, the foundations hadn’t swallowed his legs, if his ankle hadn’t busted and his head hadn’t caught the joist, he might have got away with it.
***
By half past twelve, Jimmy had usually had enough of being educated.
Double history and French had sapped his patience.
Picking up a burger and chips at the Fry, he ate as he walked to the estate.
Entering his street, he screwed up his chip papers, threw them over a hedge and noticed someone in a wheelchair heading in the opposite direction. Too far away for him to see who it was. Might have been Carlo, might not.
He turned into his garden and entered the house through the back door and found his sister sitting at the table in tears.
“What the fuck?” He stood and stared at Kylie. Her eye swelled visibly as he watched and he could practically feel the heat from the welt of the handprint throbbing on her cheek.
“Bloody hell, Jimmy, you gave me a fright.”
“What the fuck?” he said again.
“Fell on the stairs.”
Jimmy dropped his bag onto the floor. “Dad’ll kill him and I’ll be cheering him on.”
“Kill who?” She blew her nose and gave her eyes a wipe.
“Wise up sis. Your boyfriend’s a prick.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“If you’re sticking to the stairs story, you’d better get some ice on that face otherwise Dad’ll be dusting for fingerprints.” Jimmy went over to her and put his arms around her shoulders. “Joe sleeping?”
“Just down.”
“You should get some rest.” There was no point pushing it further. If she was going to tell him, she’d have done so straight away.
“No school?”
“Excluded.” It was plausible enough.
“Nobody phoned.”
“Well they would’ve excluded me if I’d stayed. I just saved them the bother.”
Now they were even. It was the way things worked - they either scratched each other’s backs or blackmailed each other into submission.
“You should change,” she told him.
“And you should get some peas from the freezer for that face of yours.”
Kissing her forehead, he headed upstairs taking them two at a time.
***
A sleep and a change of gear revived Jimmy and he was ready for some action.
First off, he needed a smoke, only he was clean out.
He headed over to Nan Ramsay’s. See if he could cut a deal. Might even bump into Kris while he was there, make him feel uncomfortable about hitting Kylie like that.
He chapped on the door and
Wanted to leave right then, but remembered why he was there.
All he had to do was find the room, beat the crap out of Mulligan and get out in one piece.
The layout was the same as his house. Made things easy.
First bedroom on the left Ramie Boyle had told him.
He walked to the top of the stairs, remembered the joke about leaving the landing light on and chuckled.
Then he stopped.
A door opened.
Light spilled onto Jimmy like he was on the stage.
A spectral figure appeared before him.
Beneath a full-length nightie, an old woman’s silhouette was all too clear. The way her tits sagged and her skin drooped was enough to put him off sex for life. Her skinny arms were all wrinkles and sores and her face cream looked like it had been bought for Trick or Treating. And she stood right in the way of Jimmy’s exit.
“Declan. Darling,” she said, her hand reaching out. “I knew you’d be back.”
She touched his cheek. Jimmy freaked.
“Paedo!”
He threw his head forward with all the force he could muster. It connected with the bridge of her nose.
The lady dropped at his feet like he was the Messiah.
“Bloody hell. He knew better than to hurt a woman unless she was attacking him. His dad would kill him if he found out.
Springing over the banister, he saw the door ahead as he came to land.
If the floor hadn’t given beneath him, the foundations hadn’t swallowed his legs, if his ankle hadn’t busted and his head hadn’t caught the joist, he might have got away with it.
***
By half past twelve, Jimmy had usually had enough of being educated.
Double history and French had sapped his patience.
Picking up a burger and chips at the Fry, he ate as he walked to the estate.
Entering his street, he screwed up his chip papers, threw them over a hedge and noticed someone in a wheelchair heading in the opposite direction. Too far away for him to see who it was. Might have been Carlo, might not.
He turned into his garden and entered the house through the back door and found his sister sitting at the table in tears.
“What the fuck?” He stood and stared at Kylie. Her eye swelled visibly as he watched and he could practically feel the heat from the welt of the handprint throbbing on her cheek.
“Bloody hell, Jimmy, you gave me a fright.”
“What the fuck?” he said again.
“Fell on the stairs.”
Jimmy dropped his bag onto the floor. “Dad’ll kill him and I’ll be cheering him on.”
“Kill who?” She blew her nose and gave her eyes a wipe.
“Wise up sis. Your boyfriend’s a prick.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“If you’re sticking to the stairs story, you’d better get some ice on that face otherwise Dad’ll be dusting for fingerprints.” Jimmy went over to her and put his arms around her shoulders. “Joe sleeping?”
“Just down.”
“You should get some rest.” There was no point pushing it further. If she was going to tell him, she’d have done so straight away.
“No school?”
“Excluded.” It was plausible enough.
“Nobody phoned.”
“Well they would’ve excluded me if I’d stayed. I just saved them the bother.”
Now they were even. It was the way things worked - they either scratched each other’s backs or blackmailed each other into submission.
“You should change,” she told him.
“And you should get some peas from the freezer for that face of yours.”
Kissing her forehead, he headed upstairs taking them two at a time.
***
A sleep and a change of gear revived Jimmy and he was ready for some action.
First off, he needed a smoke, only he was clean out.
He headed over to Nan Ramsay’s. See if he could cut a deal. Might even bump into Kris while he was there, make him feel uncomfortable about hitting Kylie like that.
He chapped on the door and
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