Finders Keepers Edie Baylis (phonics readers .TXT) 📖

From what he’d seen tonight; the way she’d all but shattered in front of him, she wasn’t coping as well with this situation as he’d believed.

Robert pulled up outside his block of flats and sat motionless, the engine idling. Over the next couple of days he’d go to Footlights himself and get it sorted. He’d get everything cleaned up and tidied away regardless of whether his mother ever moved back there.

Turning the motor off, Robert grabbed the fish and chips and got out of the car, scowling at a car further down the road, its headlights on full beam right in his face.

Ten

TEAGAN PLACED DULCIE’S BREAKFAST on the table and poured her a fresh cup of tea. She felt a lot better today. The release of her pent up emotions yesterday had been cathartic, although she was mortified to have broken down in front of Robert. She didn’t want him to think her incapable.

Dulcie’s nose wrinkled. ‘I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this instant tea you insist on, Robert,’ she moaned. ‘Tea should be left to steep in a pot, not these tasteless bag things. They’re not the same.’

Teagan bit back a smile watching Robert raise his eyebrows from his desk in the corner of the room. Dulcie really was a case.

‘Can you not buy a tea pot?’ Dulcie continued staring at her son, only the top of his head visible behind his screen. ‘Robert? Can you even hear me?’ She looked at Teagan. ‘Can he hear me?’

‘Robert’s working, Dulcie,’ Teagan said quietly.

Dulcie rolled her eyes. ‘Is that what you call it? I have no idea what that boy does, tapping away at that plastic box all day and night. Where has the life gone in this world?’

Teagan glanced at Robert once again. From her position she could see the irritation forming on his face, his jaw clenched.

‘I wonder if I’ve even got a tea pot left? There was so much smashed... The place will still be in such a mess...’ Dulcie’s voice tailed off, her voice sad.

‘How do you fancy getting out for a while?’ Teagan suggested brightly. ‘You’ve been cooped up here for a week now. You haven’t even seen the light of day! Perhaps we could go for a walk or even a bite to eat at lunchtime somewhere?’

Robert glanced up. ‘I’m not sure that’s a good idea. Mother’s still very nervous of going anywhere an...’

‘No, I’m not!’ Dulcie interrupted. ‘I’m feeling a lot better actually. Just because I’m not quite ready to face the mess at Footlights doesn’t mean I don’t want to go anywhere at all.’ She pursed her lips like a sulky child. ‘It’s hardly likely anything’s going to happen to me, is it? It wasn’t me those people were after.’

Robert frowned. ‘Even so, I...’

‘Do you know, I think I’ll go to bowls. It’s on this afternoon and I haven’t been for weeks!’ Dulcie looked at Teagan wide-eyed. ‘Like you said, it will be good for me to get out of the flat.’

Teagan looked at Robert apologetically and gave him a small shrug. She wished she hadn’t suggested anything – she hadn’t meant to cause additional worry. ‘Ok, I’ll call a taxi and drop you off there later.’

‘There’s no need. I’ve got some things to do this afternoon, so I’ll take you on the way,’ Robert added, thinking he might as well make a start with cleaning Footlights up this afternoon, being as now he didn’t have to worry about leaving his mother alone.

‘WHERE’S EVERYONE ELSE?’ Nero asked as Jonah impatiently drummed his fingers on the desk.

Jonah frowned, wondering the same thing. He knew Saul had an enforcement team meeting this morning, but he’d specifically made sure Saul was aware this meeting about Dulcie Adams had been arranged and he was keen to voice his suggestions as to how to move things forward. They’d agreed to work together on that side of things, so Saul had best be sticking to that.

Surprisingly, there had been no ructions from Lena, so it looked like Gwen was keeping all of that under control, which was good. It also meant he’d been able to give some long awaited concentration to the next plan of action. ‘Saul and Keith should be here. I presume their meeting has run over,’ he said, irritation evident.

Jonah straightened his cuffs and folded his fingers together. ‘We’ll start without them.’ He wasn’t impressed how Keith had drifted away since Saul’s return either. It also hadn’t gone unnoticed that Keith had been privy to Saul’s release, yet chose not to mention it. He’d even had the audacity to collect Saul from nick during company time. He shouldn’t be too surprised as Keith was one of Saul’s men, but he had thought that over the years of Saul’s absence, Keith would have developed some loyalty by now, but what he had displayed seemed to have evaporated since Saul came back on the scene.

‘What’s the plan then?’ Nero asked. ‘Touch base with the stoner again?’

Jonah chewed his lip. ‘Nah, I think we’ve got everything we’re going to get out of that one, so I suggest we go after the son – Robert Adams.’

He glanced up as the door opened, watching unimpressed as Saul and Keith sauntered in. ‘You may well remember he was mentioned some time ago and we decided not to go down that road, but maybe now it’s time.’

‘Started without us, I see?’ Saul said caustically, cutting Jonah a withering look.

Jonah returned the cool stare. ‘You weren’t here, so yes. Time is of the essence.’

‘Oh, so you’ve noticed that?’ Saul muttered, making a big point of clattering his chair as he made his way to his desk. It wasn’t fitting for him to share an office with his brother. A childhood full of sharing a bedroom had been enough, but he wasn’t accepting the office next door. This office – the main office, should be his and if Jonah was still laying