Haunt Dead Wrong by Curtis Jobling Read Free Book Online

encounter with Vinnie Savage, we had many reasons to be cheerful. The business with Dougie’s dad and Mr Bradbury, however,
left a brooding cloud overhead. One that still needed broaching with my mate. But how?
    ‘Shoot him in the eye!’ I shouted as Dougie’s character went head on with a dragon. It was my go-to phrase to shout at my mates whenever we played computer games. He could have
been playing Minecraft and I’d still have yelled it. It was meant to irritate and put them off. It was working.
    ‘Sod off!’ he laughed, eyes wide with concentration, fingers feverishly working the controls. ‘I kill this big lizard, I get the treasure!’
    ‘Never. Gonna. Happen.’
    A gout of fire erupted from the dragon’s jaws, showering Dougie’s Battle-Mage with liquid flames. He was too slow reaching for a healing potion. He stumbled and fell, ablaze. Quite
dead.
    ‘Ahem,’ I said. ‘Not saying I’m psychic or anything, but I think you need to update the
Rules of Ghosting
handbook.’
    ‘Lucky shot,’ said my mate, waiting for the game to reload.
    ‘Yes. Being engulfed by a ball of fiery death was pure fluke. You had him on the back foot there, pal.’
    As our laughter subsided, the
Coronation Street
theme drifted upstairs from the lounge, the volume set ridiculously loud as ever. It gave me a way in to the conversation I’d been
dreading.
    ‘Has he said any more about that business with Bradbury?’
    ‘Nah,’ said Dougie. ‘Doubt he will now. Whatever bad blood there is, we’ll never know.’
    ‘You should dig a little deeper. There’s something your dad’s not telling us.’
    Dougie stopped the game, hitting the pause button.
    ‘You what?’
    ‘Your dad’s involved in something with Bradbury, something he hasn’t told you about.’
    ‘Hang about,’ said Dougie, tossing the controller aside as he rolled over to face me. ‘You have my full attention now, Will. Spill.’
    I sighed. Judging by his less-than-friendly body language, Dougie wasn’t going to enjoy hearing this.
    ‘I overhead your dad on the phone last night. He was talking to Bradbury. Sounds like he has some kind of “big secret” he’s been keeping from you. You should ask him
about it.’
    ‘You were eavesdropping?’
    I shrugged. ‘Comes with the territory. But I know what I heard.’
    ‘You’re aware you’re basically calling my dad a liar?’
    ‘No,’ I said, trying to remain calm. This wasn’t going at all well. ‘I’m saying he’s not telling you the whole truth.’
    ‘I don’t believe this.’
    ‘I’m being straight with you here. I don’t want to keep anything from you. You’re my mate.’
    ‘You’re stirring is what you’re doing,’ said Dougie, angrily. ‘Is this your way of getting your own back, turning me on my dad?’
    ‘Hang about, Dougie. I’m
coming
to you with this, so you can do something about it. Your old man’s involved in something – or was, in the past – and
it’s come back to bite his bum now.’
    ‘So Dad’s a criminal, that’s what you’re saying?’
    ‘You’re putting words in my mouth—’
    ‘No, carry on. Tell me what you
really
think of him. He’s a mess, isn’t he? A gibbering, drunken, embarrassing mess. And your folks are just
so
perfect,
aren’t they?’
    This was
very
bad. Things were spiralling rapidly out of control.
    ‘Now wait a minute—’
    ‘You can’t stand the fact that Lucy’s with me, can you? That’s what this is all about. Wrap it up however you want,
mate
, but this boils down to good old-fashioned
jealousy.’
    ‘Sod off! I’m not jealous!’
    ‘Yes you are! You’ve been like a kicked dog ever since we started seeing each other. Face like a wet weekend. I know you fancied her, but you’re gone. I’m not. Should I
ignore my feelings?’
    ‘You?’ I shouted, my own anger now getting the better of me. ‘Feelings?’
    ‘Damn right,’ snarled Dougie. ‘Feelings! That’s why I’ve pandered to your every whim since you