Read Online Bubblegum Smoothie by Ryan Casey - Free Book Online Page B

time?”
    The car sped out of the car park, and I resisted the urge to shout at Martha any more. I knew what she was getting at. I might have been a good bounty hunter, but one thing I wasn’t good at was driving. I’d only ever passed my automatic test, which caused a few problems when people asked me to reverse their cars for them, things like that. To be honest, I got the impression they did it on purpose.
    We sped down the A6 out of town. My mind raced with what I’d seen on the tape—Gus, the coin-stacking fatso, getting out of a squad car. Planting the body of a dead girl on top of it. Walking away grinning.
    “I think we can assume Gus isn’t our killer,” Martha said.
    “Try telling Lenny and the police that. You think he’s just going to cough up a full million if he catches and pins this guy himself?”
    “Normally, I would’ve taken a man’s word. But now I’ve met the guy…”
    “Exactly. Which is why it’s very important we get to the Bull very quickly. Do you have any… any sweets?”
    “Glove compartment to your left.”
    I stuffed my hand into the glove compartment and pulled out a half-eaten packet of Lockets as Martha swung the car around a bend. I squeezed them all out, salivated at the thought of them. The last ones had worked their way out of my system so my throat was constantly tight. I took the wrappers off all of them and crunched down, an instant release pummelling through me.
    “Thanks for saving me some,” Martha said. “In fact you can add an extra 50p to my cut for that.”
    “Martha, you aren’t getting another penny from me. Let’s just get to the Bull before Lenny’s band of idiots do.”
    We sped up the A6. I couldn’t help myself scanning the area for squad cars. Wouldn’t have minded a police light and siren of our own at this point.
    “So what do you think?” Martha asked.
    “About what?”
    “About what? About Gus, you moron. Is he our killer?”
    I scoffed. “Do you think he’s our killer?”
    “No.”
    “Me neither. He’s… he’s obviously being used by our actual perp. Seems the sort of guy who’d do anything for a few shiny coins.”
    “And the sort of guy who’d find it very hard to defend himself if he were pinned for it.”
    “Which is why it’s very important we get our… Oh shit.”
    Martha’s car slowing to a halt was all the confirmation I needed of the shittest possible scenario.
    “Why the hell does traffic always stack up when you actually want to go somewhere?” Martha said. She slammed the steering wheel and slumped back onto the driver’s seat.
    I tried to breathe. Tried to keep my cool. I could see the Black Bull in the distance, beyond the mass of cars. It was swelteringly hot, too. Unbearable, even though Martha’s air con was on full blast. Note to self: buy a portable handheld fan from Amazon when you get your Fun Funds reinstated. Buy a top of the range one. One you can take everywhere.
    One you’ll probably only use once.
    “I mean, you drive to the doctor’s, there’s never any traffic. You drive to some shitty court hearing, there’s never any traffic. You drive to your bloody death, there’s never any… Wait—hey! Where are you going?”
    I was already half out of the car when Martha spoke. “I’m gonna run. Gonna take a look and see if I can get a head start. I’ll meet you down there.”
    “Run? But Blake, you—”
    I slammed Martha’s door shut. Stood in the middle of the traffic. The looming white-painted walls of the Black Bull beckoned me.
    Bring it on.
    I wove through pile upon pile of cars and got to the front of the traffic lights. People looked at me funny through their windows, but then who the hell were they and what did I care? I had important shit to do. I had to get to Gus. I had to question him before the police did. I couldn’t let Lenny lock him up for murder. Damn my stupid big mouth for blurting out his name to Lenny. If I’d really thought about it, I could’ve got to Gus in