Read Online Crime Always Pays by Declan Burke - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Declan Burke
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'Beauty's only skin deep, Gary.'
'Skin deep and a mile wide.' He brushed it off. 'Anyway, the boredom? I got that plan. Taking courses and shit, get me an education. On the out? No one's letting me into any college. I got no exams, didn't get to finish school, and anyway, there's the fees, all the books you gotta buy.' He shook his head. 'Inside? They're throwing books at you. Christ, they get one guy a year they can point to, say look at him, he's rehabilitated, that's their grants for next year looked after. Then, when I'm not reading and shit? I've got the narcolepsy, I'm snoozing left, right and centre.'
'Reading and sleeping,' Melody said, considering. 'Maybe that's not such a bad plan.'
'Like, the whole point of hanging out with Rossi is the boy's done three jolts already, it's only a matter of time before he goes back inside. I'm just hoping to steer him into something that doesn't carry the actual death penalty.' He shrugged. 'But when he goes, Mel, he'll take everyone around him down too.'
'You're worried about me?' Mel said. 'But I'm your hostage. If Rossi gets --'
'When.'
'When, okay. When Rossi gets caught, I go back home.'
'Because you'll just explain how Rossi kidnapped you, took you along.'
'Exactly.'
'You speak French? Italian?'
'I don't follow.'
'I'm just saying, wherever we get caught, they probably won't speak a lot of English. What they call the nuances'll probably get lost in translation.'
'So we call the consul.'
'Or maybe the ambassador.'
'Well, whatever.'
'Because guys like that, they're just sitting by their phones hoping some low-life somersaults into the crap, needs bailing out.'
Melody thought that over. 'Okay,' she said. 'I'll take that one on board. But how do I know you're not just angling to get back to a two-way split with Rossi?'
'Two-way, three-way, who gives a rat's ass? There's no split , Mel. I mean, Rossi's chasing this cop 'cos he thinks she's chasing Madge, on the basis Karen's with her. Meanwhile the cop's probably on holiday. This is even supposing,' he said, 'Karen's hooking up with Madge. Or that she'll have the cash with her if she does.'
'The ear,' Melody murmured. 'You're forgetting his ear.'
Sleeps nodded. 'You got a guy, okay, he's upstairs right now in a fucking tux and fedora, a false beard, he's missing an ear and drinking Woo-Woos on top of goofballs enough to stun the US Marine corps. I mean, Mel – this is a guy who's all-time hero is Napoleon 'cos the guy was small and Italian.'
Mel, her fingers twitching to shape themselves around a pencil, said: 'So what're you suggesting?'
'You need to duck out. Soon as we dock, turn around and take the next ferry home.'
'Just run away,' Mel said, 'from what's maybe the only shot I'll ever have to get out from under.'
'There's worse things than being under.'
'There's better things too.'
He stared. Mel didn't blink. 'Well,' he said, hauling himself upright, 'you can't say you weren't warned.' Standing over her now, his bulk sagging, resigned to it. 'And when the shit hits the fan, I'll do my best, say how we dragged you along. But no one's ever listened to me my entire life. No reason they'll start now.'
Mel gestured for him to sit down again, then leaned forward to take his hand. 'Gary? I'll listen to you. Anytime you want to talk, I'm here.' She let go of his hand and reached the notepad and pen off the bedside locker, saying, 'Why don't you start with this FARCO thing. What's all that
'Skin deep and a mile wide.' He brushed it off. 'Anyway, the boredom? I got that plan. Taking courses and shit, get me an education. On the out? No one's letting me into any college. I got no exams, didn't get to finish school, and anyway, there's the fees, all the books you gotta buy.' He shook his head. 'Inside? They're throwing books at you. Christ, they get one guy a year they can point to, say look at him, he's rehabilitated, that's their grants for next year looked after. Then, when I'm not reading and shit? I've got the narcolepsy, I'm snoozing left, right and centre.'
'Reading and sleeping,' Melody said, considering. 'Maybe that's not such a bad plan.'
'Like, the whole point of hanging out with Rossi is the boy's done three jolts already, it's only a matter of time before he goes back inside. I'm just hoping to steer him into something that doesn't carry the actual death penalty.' He shrugged. 'But when he goes, Mel, he'll take everyone around him down too.'
'You're worried about me?' Mel said. 'But I'm your hostage. If Rossi gets --'
'When.'
'When, okay. When Rossi gets caught, I go back home.'
'Because you'll just explain how Rossi kidnapped you, took you along.'
'Exactly.'
'You speak French? Italian?'
'I don't follow.'
'I'm just saying, wherever we get caught, they probably won't speak a lot of English. What they call the nuances'll probably get lost in translation.'
'So we call the consul.'
'Or maybe the ambassador.'
'Well, whatever.'
'Because guys like that, they're just sitting by their phones hoping some low-life somersaults into the crap, needs bailing out.'
Melody thought that over. 'Okay,' she said. 'I'll take that one on board. But how do I know you're not just angling to get back to a two-way split with Rossi?'
'Two-way, three-way, who gives a rat's ass? There's no split , Mel. I mean, Rossi's chasing this cop 'cos he thinks she's chasing Madge, on the basis Karen's with her. Meanwhile the cop's probably on holiday. This is even supposing,' he said, 'Karen's hooking up with Madge. Or that she'll have the cash with her if she does.'
'The ear,' Melody murmured. 'You're forgetting his ear.'
Sleeps nodded. 'You got a guy, okay, he's upstairs right now in a fucking tux and fedora, a false beard, he's missing an ear and drinking Woo-Woos on top of goofballs enough to stun the US Marine corps. I mean, Mel – this is a guy who's all-time hero is Napoleon 'cos the guy was small and Italian.'
Mel, her fingers twitching to shape themselves around a pencil, said: 'So what're you suggesting?'
'You need to duck out. Soon as we dock, turn around and take the next ferry home.'
'Just run away,' Mel said, 'from what's maybe the only shot I'll ever have to get out from under.'
'There's worse things than being under.'
'There's better things too.'
He stared. Mel didn't blink. 'Well,' he said, hauling himself upright, 'you can't say you weren't warned.' Standing over her now, his bulk sagging, resigned to it. 'And when the shit hits the fan, I'll do my best, say how we dragged you along. But no one's ever listened to me my entire life. No reason they'll start now.'
Mel gestured for him to sit down again, then leaned forward to take his hand. 'Gary? I'll listen to you. Anytime you want to talk, I'm here.' She let go of his hand and reached the notepad and pen off the bedside locker, saying, 'Why don't you start with this FARCO thing. What's all that
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