Finders Keepers Edie Baylis (phonics readers .TXT) 📖

call button. He could hardly talk about this in here, but at the same time he didn’t want the call to drop out. ‘Hello?’ he gasped.

Thirty Five

‘WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU talking about, prick?’ Keith growled.

He hadn’t expected any calls on this phone and although he made a habit of regularly checking all the burners as a matter of course, last night he hadn’t bothered. His mind was overloaded with what he’d seen yesterday and after sinking far too many beers he hadn’t got around to it. There was far too much to think about.

And now this.

Keith gnashed his teeth waiting for the stoner to speak. He could barely believe it when he was asked to hang on. He hadn’t got all bloody day and neither was he in the frame of mind to wait for anything this moron had to say.

‘I’ve got something I think you’ll want,’ Joe said, as he dashed around the back of the newsagents, amazed his voice held no trace of wavering.

Keith frowned. ‘Yeah, you said that on the message. What could you possibly have that I would want?’

Joe took a deep breath and glanced around to check no one was in earshot. He pressed the mobile tighter against his ear, like it would make a difference... ‘Before I tell you, I need to know - have you got Teagan?’

Keith almost laughed. He moved the phone away from his half-chewed ear and stared at it. ‘Are you having me on? Why would I tell you that? More to the point, what the fuck has it got to do with you?’

Despite everything, a small knot of unease rolled around Keith’s insides. The girl’s disappearance had been noted, as expected, but did that mean the police were involved? He liked what was happening to that woman little enough, but the prospect of the cops, he liked even less. There was no way he was being implicated for what Saul done on this one. Robbery was one thing, but that...

‘It’s got nothing to do with me,’ Joe stammered, fast losing his nerve. ‘But Teagan hasn’t got what you’re after. That I do know.’

Keith sighed. ‘Fuck off stoner. I haven’t got time for this.’

‘No,’ Joe spluttered. ‘I’m serious. The old bag Teagan looks after – the one... you know...? Well, she called me when Teagan didn’t come back after the funeral.’ Think, think! What was the story again? Sweat poured down his temples. ‘I went round to see if I could help. She knew me and Teagan used to be...’

‘Get on with it,’ Keith growled, his ears pricking up the minute Dulcie Adams was mentioned.

‘The old cow went to make me a cup of tea and it was then that I saw the box.’ Joe laughed nervously, desperate to make things sound plausible. ‘I remembered what Teagan said about... you know... about being given a box. The one she hadn’t looked in? Well, I’m a nosy bastard, so I looked.’

Keith’s heart hammered painfully. Was it possible...?

‘I’ve got them! I took them. I left the box where it was, but I’ve got the stuff,’ Joe continued. Christ, this was like signing his own death warrant. Was the nutter buying this? Come on, speak!

‘Got what?’ Keith growled. He’d soon know if this piece of shit was trying it on.

‘The diamonds,’ Joe whispered, the words burning his throat. ‘There’s loads of them... pink diamonds.’

Keith said nothing. Was the stoner winding him up? How would he know about the diamonds if he hadn’t got them? Had anyone mentioned them before? No they hadn’t – no one had ever spoken of them. A lucky guess, perhaps? No. It couldn’t be. Shit the fucking bed!

‘Are you still there?’ Joe’s confidence grew, realising the nutter was digesting the information. Just the next bit now.

‘I’m still here,’ Keith said, his mind racing.

‘Give me Teagan and I’ll get the diamonds to you,’ Joe blurted.

Keith laughed. Who in their right mind would give up millions of pounds worth of jewels in exchange for some bird? Though remembering how dappy the stoner was, he was the sort of person to think it logical. Vegetable rights and peace and all that clobber, right? ‘And why would you do that?’

‘Because I love her,’ Joe lied. ‘Look, the diamonds are what you’ve been after all along, aren’t they? Holding Teagan to ransom won’t get you anywhere because she doesn’t know anything, I’ve told you before she thinks you lot were looking for drugs. She never knew anything about me being in contact with you.’

Keith chewed his lip. Had the stoner splurged to the cops and now they’d pieced everything together and told him to call? No, they’d have descended on the club in their droves if there was any inkling the Powells were linked to that old robbery, not to mention kidnapping on top.

Joe closed his eyes in despair. ‘Look, give me Teagan and take the diamonds. Job done.’

Keith faltered. If the stoner was telling the truth then he’d get the diamonds back for the Powells. Him and him alone. The vision of being handed one of those multi-million pound jewels for his services, glowed in his mind like a magic charm. But if this wasn’t kosher and was a set up, then he’d be screwing the entire firm, himself and the Powells...

But what choice did he have? He had to do something about Saul’s behaviour. His old friend’s actions were haunting him something chronic. Although he hadn’t found a way of getting around the problem which didn’t involve him either being killed in retaliation or leaving the firm to spend the rest of his life in exile, he did know it was one of those things that he couldn’t turn a blind eye to or brush under the carpet. This wasn’t like the other things he’d ever been involved in.

If he could sort this, then not only would Jonah be forever indebted to him, but it would also mean Saul’s behaviour wouldn’t have