Free No Alarms by Bernard Beckett Page A

Sharon had left out in front of the heater, so they’d be warm for him. ‘What are you getting so uptight about?’
    ‘He pisses in those you know.’
    ‘I washed them yesterday.’
    ‘You said eight thirty.’
    ‘Told you, it wasn’t my fault. Here, make me a coffee will you?’
    ‘Can’t,’ Sharon said. ‘I’m going out.’
    ‘It’s almost ten o’clock on a Tuesday night.’
    Sometimes, when she wasn’t trying too hard, Kaz could almost sound like a mother. ‘Where you going then?’
    ‘Just out.’
    ‘Not with that geek you brought home the other day I hope. I didn’t like the look of him.’ Kaz undid the button of her stressed trousers and spread out on the kitchen chair. ‘Go on kid, make us a coffee before you go. I’m fucked.’
    ‘Sorry, I’ve got to go.’
    ‘It won’t take long, less time than we’ll spend arguing about it anyway.’
    Kaz could twist any argument, if it meant getting what shewanted. Sharon shrugged and walked to the sink. ‘Cheers. Here, while it’s boiling take Zinny into bed will you? Don’t worry about changing him.’
    So Sharon had to run the whole way, to stop from being late for her first real job. It was still raining and she could feel her jeans getting heavier with every stride. Later, when she stopped, they’d smell of all that trapped-in effort, and her hair would collapse, making her head look too small, and she’d feel even more useless.
    ‘Hi,’ Sharon spoke nervously, wishing it wasn’t Simon who’d answered the door. He was wearing his black wharfies’ jacket, the one from the park, and the same hard stare, daring her to notice. He didn’t say hi back, or even nod, just stood there being big, making the door look like it had shrunk around him. When he moved aside it wasn’t by much, just enough for her to squeeze past, so she could smell the smoke on his breath as her body moved round him.
    ‘You made it.’ Justin looked nervous, not standing still but pacing from one end of the kitchen to the other, like he was counting out laps.
    ‘Course,’ Sharon replied, one last word before the silence. At first Sharon tried to be invisible, anything but ‘that little girl I knew’d only get in the way’ but the quiet lasted too long. She could feel her heartbeat speeding up, like it knew something she didn’t. She was glad of the knife she had in her back pocket.
    ‘Well, outta here then,’ Simon announced, not letting his stare shift from his little brother. What did he expect might happen, Sharon wondered, if he looked away. It was another danger sign she couldn’t quite read. Simon finally let his eyes drop. He picked up a dark sports bag and ducked his head ashe headed out into the night.
    ‘After you then,’ Justin said when she looked at him, hoping for more of a signal. Simon was already half way down the street, swaying from side to side like a ship fighting a heavy swell, the rain catching in the street lights as he made his passage.
    ‘Here, make sure you keep up,’ Justin whispered, suddenly at her side. ‘He gets pissed off if he has to wait.’
    ‘So where are we going then?’ Sharon asked.
    ‘Questions piss him off too,’ Justin replied, before breaking into a half run to make up the lost distance. Sharon ran too, the heavy wet denim scratching at her legs like a warning.
    They walked hard for twenty minutes, across the tracks and back towards the hill, where the cars disappeared into garages, and the houses had prices to match the views. They kept their heads down, trying not to attract attention, but still Sharon could feel eyes on her as cars sloshed past. She imagined the people who would live behind the tightly drawn curtains, high set windows glowing faintly above thick, unfriendly hedges. People like Mark, splitting their time between computers and homework, feeling safer than anybody ought to feel. Sharon couldn’t figure what the job would be. Good place for a burglary. She could do that, no worries, but Justin