Creature of the Night by Kate Thompson Read Free Book Online Page B

had
plenty of practice.
    I put the key in the ignition and turned it to free the
steering lock, then leaned across the driver's seat and let
off the handbrake. The car didn't move, and for a
moment I thought the whole plan was a non-runner, but
I leaned on the door frame and rocked her a few times
and whatever was seized freed up and she began to roll.
I jumped in, holding the open door with one hand and
the steering wheel with the other, but she was rolling too
slowly so at the bottom of the drive I got out again and
gave her a hand, pushing against the door frame and
steering with my left hand. She speeded up and soon I
was running, and then I jumped in and let her freewheel
until she was almost at the bottom of the hill.
    I decided to try a jump-start – it would be quieter
than the starter motor. I put her into third and let out the
clutch. She purred into life so quietly it was like she
knew exactly what I wanted and was bending over backwards
to help me.
    At the end of the road I stopped to find the headlights
switch, then I turned towards the village, and
Ennis, and Dublin. I would never, as long as I lived, slag
off a Skoda again.
    I was scared shitless for the first while, watching for the
guards, checking my speed, dipping my headlights
religiously. But there were hardly any cars on the road
and once I was past Ennis I began to relax and enjoy
myself. I turned on the radio and thought about Coley
and the chainsaw.
    That was some brilliant machine. I couldn't wait to
get my hands on it, but Coley did the first bit, to show
me, and I split the chunks he sawed with the axe so
they'd fit on the fire. Then he handed it over to me and
I ripped into those logs like I hated them, and he was
right – the saw went through them like they were butter.
    After a while he made me take a break. He said it
was to fill up the petrol, but I think he wanted to make
me stop for a while as well. I hadn't noticed it, but when
I went to let go of the chainsaw my fingers were stuck
around the handles, like some kind of cramp. I had to
stretch them a few times before they would work at all.
My shoulders were cramped as well, and there was a
pain in my neck and my back. Coley laughed at me.
    'It's heavier than it looks,' he said.
    I could still feel the pains now, sitting in the car. It
proved I'd done something, and it wasn't just messing or
killing time, neither. We'd cut enough firewood to last
my ma for weeks.
    On the far side of Limerick I stopped to get petrol. It was
one of those twenty-four-hour places where you have to
pay first before you put in your petrol. I almost drove
straight on when I seen that, but then I was worried that
I might run out before I found another one, so I got out
and dropped my twenty euro through the little window
and I tried to look casual and grown-up but the guy
didn't really look at me at all. He looked tired and
bored.
    So five minutes later I was back on the road, loads
of petrol in the tank, and nothing but the empty road
between me and the lads.

17
    I went straight to Fluke's and parked the car in a dark
side street behind his block of flats. I'd passed a few
garda cars but none of them had taken any notice of me
and there were none around now. I was high as a kite.
I'd made it.
    I rang Fluke's number. He never set up his message
box and the phone rang and rang for ages but eventually
he came on.
    'What's up, Bobser?' He sounded half asleep, and
not too pleased.
    'I'm outside,' I said. 'I've got a car.'
    'Outside where?' he said.
    'Outside your place. I need to get rid of this motor.
Are you coming?'
    'I'm not at home,' he said. 'I'm at my girlfriend's
place.'
    'Where's that?' I said. 'I'll come and get you.'
    'Ah, fuck off, Bobser,' he said, and he hung up.
    I swore at the phone. It wasn't the hero's welcome
I'd expected. I knew Fluke had a girlfriend but she'd
never got in the way of us before. Maybe that was
because he usually called the shots and I just went along.
I couldn't make it out. I'd