Free Eoin Miller 01 - Faithless Street by Jay Stringer Page B

her husband. She rose
out of her chair in a mass of flailing arms and legs, making a funny squealing
noise at the thought of not getting a kiss. He gave her a hug and a kiss on the
cheek, and then made it out the door before any more family members appeared to
molest him.
    **
    On the tram ride into town, he could feel the
lump against his back. A sweat was trickling down there, sticking between the
metal and his skin. This never seemed to be a problem in the films. Not once
had he seen a character pull out a concealed weapon and then have to wipe the
sweat off before using it.
    The conductor was someone he knew from
school. Tony or Timmy, something like that. One of those faceless kids he used
to steal lunch money off. Look at him now in his cheap blue blazer, tie
buttoned up as if he was proud of it. Faceless Timmy saw Bauser but left him
alone. The schoolyard never left some people. It would have been a free journey
if some old lady hadn’t taken offence at the idea and pointed Bauser out to the
conductor again.
    He wanted to say, oi bitch, I got a gun. Shut the fuck up. He wanted to say a lot,
but words had never been his thing.   And after today, he wouldn’t need them. He wouldn’t be riding the tram
to work, he’d get picked up any time he wanted.
    After today, if he needed bullets for the
gun, he’d be able to get them. The Mann brothers would let him have all the
ammunition he needed.
    The tram station in the city centre was in
front of the police station. Bauser caught a thrill. His spine tingled and his
shoulders felt a hundred feet wide as he stood and looked up at the front door.
For the first time, he started to feel a little bit of weight in the metal he
was carrying.
    **
    Two men frisked Bauser at the door before
letting him into the restaurant.
    Later on it would be full of drunken football
fans and students, but right now it was a playing host to a board meeting. The
tables in the middle of the room had been pushed to one side, clearing a space
for them all to stand. The stereo was already playing the generic Indian music
that would fill the room later on. Bauser suppressed a smile.
    They were all there. Both Mann brothers, Gav
and Channy. They had to be there to give their approval. Teek and Marvin, the
guy’s who called the shots on the streets. Pepsi and Latisha, the two team leaders
who had recommended Bauser. They all greeted him with smiles when he walked in,
hand shakes and backslaps, a hug from Latisha. The talking seemed to have
already been done.
    “So you ready to step up?” Channy Mann looked
Bauser up and down as he spoke. “You think you’re ready to run a team?”
    “Hell yeah.”
    His confidence was only about fifty percent
bravado. The rest was naivety. But the Mann brothers seemed to like his answer.
Channy continued.
    “How long have you been with us now?”
    “Four years.”
    “Started young.”
    “He aye never missed a count.” Marv spoke up.
“Never called in sick. Kept his mouth shut when the police pulled him.”
    “Yeah.” Gav smiled and looked Bauser up and
down as if he was sizing up a pit-bull. “I think you are. You’re bursting for
it.”
    Bauser nodded, hoping he looked cool and
relaxed but his heart was breaking out of his chest.
    “This means, you get arrested? We’ll get you
bail and a good lawyer. You don’t have to carry that on your own. You need to
go anywhere? You get a man to drive you. You need anything? They can fetch it
for you.”
    Bauser was liking this. It sounded like being
a king.
    “But, and we tell you this now, you’re the
man we come to. One of your boys fucks up? You carry that. You put your fingers
in the till? Marv and Teek here will fuck you up.”
    “Totally, man. I’d never do you guys like
that.”
    Channy nodded his head toward the door at the
back of the room. Letisha tapped Bauser on the shoulder and motioned for him to
follow and she and Pepsi headed over to the door. It led to the kitchen at the
back of the building.