Free The Know by Martina Cole Page B

going to be a long night, she already knew that much.
     
    It was bad enough when you felt one hundred per cent, but when you felt wafty it was a bastard.
     
    She wouldn’t even bother having a bath.
     
     
Jasper was annoyed and it showed.
     
    ‘Why do you have to look after her? Why can’t Fatty have her?’ They were in bed and they were stoned, but his voice was still angry. ‘I wanted us to have a night in together, Jen.’
     
    Jeanette made a decision.
     
    ‘Fuck her. Fatty can have her. I just won’t go home.’
     
    She settled down once more and put her mother, brother and sister out of her mind completely. There would be ructions but she would sort it all out as and when. For the moment she was happy where she was.
     
     
Joanie knew after an hour that her daughter wasn’t coming home and rang Tommy. While she waited for him, she cursed Jeanette under her breath. She didn’t want to take the piss with Tommy in case he got the ache with coming over so often. Even though she knew he loved it, you could have too much of a good thing and she had done a deal with Jeanette that as long as she looked after her sister now and again, Joanie wouldn’t be too hard on her.
     
    Now Jeanette had let her down again and even though she knew her daughter was only being a typical teenager this complete lack of regard was starting to get on Joanie’s nerves. Well, if Jen wanted any money this week she could whistle for it.
     
    She wondered who it was her daughter was seeing, and what kind of person he might be. Jeanette was so secretive these days and Joanie was past trying to get anything out of the tight-lipped girl. She would ask Jon Jon to put his ear to the ground. See what he could come up with.
     
    Kira was ready for bed and waiting with bated breath for Tommy. Joanie smiled as she looked at her younger daughter. She was a good kid, bless her. She knew she wouldn’t have half the trouble with her that she’d had with the other girl.
     
    That in itself was something to be glad about. She couldn’t go through all this again, for all the money in the world.
     
     
Paulie and Jon Jon found their truce was working better than either of them had expected. In fact they had a lot in common, but then when Jon Jon had been a kid this man had been good to him. Jon Jon realised now that it was because Paulie had wanted his mother in his stable, but he accepted that. If he had a fight with everyone who had ever used her he would never have time to sleep. Anyway she’d gone willingly, though that still didn’t mean he had to like it, did it?
     
    But as much as he hated Paulie’s main money-spinner, he admired his acumen and business sense. Jon Jon could learn a lot from this man. He could also, if he used his loaf, get his mother out of the life and into the know.
     
    He realised early on in their conversation that with Paulie in his corner his profits could increase tenfold at least. And that was only at the rate he was dealing now. Once he hit the big time he would earn silly money.
     
    ‘You done Carty, didn’t you?’
     
    Paulie’s voice was low, conversational.
     
    Jon Jon shrugged but didn’t answer, his face completely devoid of expression.
     
    Paulie laughed.
     
    ‘Good lad. I heard through the grapevine that he was smoking the profits.’
     
    Jon Jon scowled.
     
    ‘Who told you that?’
     
    He was annoyed to think he had been the topic of public conversation, and this fact showed in his face. He was fuming at the thought of his private business being common knowledge; it just made him even more glad he had unloaded that waster Carty. Because this had to have come from him, it certainly didn’t originate from Jon Jon’s own mouth. When Carty finally came out of hospital he was going to go straight back in there, Jon Jon would see to that himself.
     
    Paulie was laughing once more.
     
    ‘Easy, tiger!’
     
    He finished his brandy before saying, ‘Calm down, it was only an observation