The First Novels: Pay Off, the Fireman by Stephen Leather Read Free Book Online Page B

being fun. He takes his work seriously and he’s made a lot of money without ever getting caught. He’s the least of our worries because we only have to use him twice and he has no way of knowing what he’s getting involved in. And I know enough about him to make sure that he won’t talk to anyone else about the deal.
            ‘So I’m three-quarters of the way there, David, but I’m having trouble getting hold of a suitable girl.’
            ‘Like Shona,’ he said, suddenly serious and frowning slightly, forehead furrowed as he looked into my eyes, almost nose to nose, his hot breath on my lips. ‘She’s nice.’
            ‘Shona’s too nice, you daft brush. We want a woman of easy virtue, a high class lady of the night who’ll charm her way into Ronnie Laing’s pants and lead him astray. She’s got to be pretty, witty and fun but hard enough to cope with a villain like Laing. And we’ve got to be able to trust her completely. She’s a vital part of the plan, David, but I can’t find her. The sort of girl we’re after doesn’t walk the streets and she doesn’t have to advertise. What am I going to do?’
            The question was rhetorical but David took it seriously, he shrugged and tilted his head from side to side like a budgie gazing at its reflection in a mirror. He was biting his lower lip with his uneven teeth, his face pained with concentration as he tried to help, feet now unmoving in the rushing water.
            ‘Don’t look so serious,’ I chided, and ruffled his hair. ‘I’ll think of something. It’s going to be all right. Trust me.’
            Eventually he spoke, slowly and with a great deal of concentration. ‘Tony like girls, you told me,’ he said, eyes wide open, head tilted back, proud because maybe he’d found the solution.
            Tony had come to stay with us three months ago, before I’d gone down south, and he’d delighted David with his stories of life in London and his visits to the Middle East and suddenly I realized what he was getting at. ‘Sometimes you amaze me!’ I yelled and dragged him to his feet and hugged him hard.
            ‘Come on, back to the house, last one there’s a cissy – and whatever you do don’t blame me for your wet clothes.’
            I scooped up our shoes and socks as he rushed off and I held back to let him win. We were both out of breath and panting when we reached Shona who was leaning against the Rover, smiling and waving. ‘Having fun?’ she shouted.
            ‘Yes, yes, yes, yes,’ chanted David. She helped him on with his shoes and socks and we went in for tea. Afterwards, as Shona and I drove away from Shankland Hall, I watched him waving goodbye from the top of the steps, still holding hands with the nurse, and even from the end of the drive I could see he was saying ‘Don’t go’ over and over again.
            ‘Sometimes he amazes me,’ I said to no one in particular.
            ‘Who?’ she asked.
            ‘David,’ I said. ‘My daft brother.’
            She drove in silence, handling the car expertly in and out of the twisting bends back towards Edinburgh.
            ‘I have to go back to London. Tonight,’ I said and winced inwardly as her face fell.
            ‘No, you don’t,’ she answered and flicked her pony tail in annoyance. ‘I meant what I said about the cracks starting to show. I’ve got a couple of big headaches and I need your help.’
            ‘Tell me,’ I said, prepared to be convinced.
            ‘The main one concerns Crest Electronics. I’m having trouble convincing them that they should go ahead with their employee share ownership scheme. They know they can afford it, they know the benefits it’ll bring, and I’ve trotted out all the old arguments until I’m blue in the face. They’ve got one foot poised over the edge, they just have to be persuaded to take the plunge. I think you’d swing the