Faces by Martina Cole Read Free Book Online

harmless. An act that they dropped when they had achieved their objective, which was either entering someone’s home or playing the police for fools if they were called out.
    ‘Is your dad in, son?’ The smaller one spoke in a friendly and amiable fashion.
    Danny shook his head. ‘ ’Course he ain’t. He’s hardly going to come back here knowing you are after him, is he?’
    Walter Murray, the elder of the two brothers, and also the taller, nodded in agreement at Danny’s answer. He seemed thrilled at the response, as if the words had been exactly what he had wanted to hear. ‘Fair enough, son. So now, you understand we have to enquire as to whether you know where he might be.’
    Danny shook his head once more. ‘He can fuck off as far as I’m concerned and, if you see him before I do, you can tell him that from me.’
    Danny knew that his conversation with the Murrays was being overheard by most of the neighbours. That was the downside to these flats; nothing could ever be kept private, no matter how personal. Even the neighbours’ sex lives were a topic of conversation, they could be heard copulating by everyone who shared a wall, floor or ceiling with them. You got used to it, as you did hearing their toilets flushing or their baths running. Now that the gossip was about them he understood why people got so angry about it.
    Walter Murray looked at the large young man before him, took in his wild-eyed fear and boxer’s stance. He was game, the kid, if nothing else.
    ‘Look, son, if we don’t locate him in the next few days and collect the dosh owing, then we will remove everything from this flat; beds, chairs, the lot. Then we’ll come back again and take whatever else we can find.’ The threat was evident and open.
    Danny looked into his eyes with genuine bewilderment. ‘Why do you want to hurt us? My old man is the one who owes you the money, and you’ve more chance of being paid in Bulgarian luncheon vouchers than getting six large off him.’
    Wilfred Murray, the shorter of the two brothers grinned, and it was a calculated and deliberate movement of his face. There was nothing there to make an onlooker think he was actually enjoying himself. ‘Are you a bit thick, mate?’
    Danny swallowed down his anger and, forcing his face into a mask of innocence he said quietly, ‘Well, I must be. As far as I’m concerned you have done us lot the favour of our lives; the old man disappearing was a bonus for us, mate. But I warn you now, you come near my family again and you’d better come mob-handed, because if I survive your next visit I’ll make it me life’s work to hunt you two down and obliterate you.’ It was said without anger, and with a quiet dignity that made the large young man in front of them seem almost menacing.
    ‘Hark at him! Fucking Harry Dash! Are you having a tin bath, son?’ Wilfred’s laughter was loud and laced with sarcasm.
    Danny didn’t make any kind of movement, he just stared at them. He saw that he was much bigger physically than the pair of them put together. He was a big lad, he knew, and he also knew that, thanks to his father, he was having to act the hard man and face down two notorious thugs. But he knew that if they threatened his family he would have to do what he had threatened. He put his hand up then, an instinctive movement, and pointed a warning finger at the two men.
    ‘I mean it. If you come near my family I will not be responsible. If it takes me the rest of my life I’ll find you and I’ll kill you. See, my father is the one you have the fucking argument with, not us. And, while you’re at it, ask yourself what kind of person really believes that someone who lives here could have six large sitting in his back pocket. You’ve got more chance of getting a wank off the queen than recouping that money, and you know it.’
    Walter knew the boy spoke the truth but they had collected debts from poorer people than this over the years. It was amazing what