The Mercy Seat

The Mercy Seat by Martyn Waites Read Free Book Online Page B

Book: The Mercy Seat by Martyn Waites Read Free Book Online
Authors: Martyn Waites
Tags: detective, thriller, Suspense, Crime, Mystery, Hard-Boiled, UK
here. I look after them, nurture them … even love them. Don’t I, Si?’
    ‘Yes, Father Jack,’ said Si too quickly.
    ‘Si tells me you’ve got something for me.’
    Jamal handed over the cards. Father Jack looked at them.
    ‘And can they be traced?’
    Jamal shook his head. Told him he had robbed someone. Didn’t mention the hotel room. Or the rest of the money. Father Jack smiled.
    ‘Good work. I could pay you and let you go on your way, or …’
    ‘I told Father Jack you needed somewhere to stay,’ said Si.
    ‘Good boy. Yes, Jamal, I take all the waifs and strays, the runaways, and I give them a loving home. Do you want a loving home, Jamal?’
    Jamal shrugged. ‘Yeah.’
    Father Jack leaned forward. ‘Are you sure?’
    ‘Yeah, I’m sure.’
    Father Jack smiled. ‘Good. Then you’re welcome to stay.’ He looked at the cards. ‘I won’t charge you. For now.’ The cards were put into a pocket in the dressing gown.
    ‘Got everythin’,’ said Si. ‘PS2, Sky, everythin’.’
    Jamal nodded, face blank, eyes stone.
    Father Jack was smiling at him again. ‘You been sleeping rough? You need a shower?’
    Jamal shrugged.
    ‘Si …’
    Si showed him where the shower was, gave him a towel. Jamal stripped, Si watching him all the time. Jamal ignored him, kept his jacket in view throughout the shower, made sure the bulge was still there.
    He barely felt the water on his skin. He barely felt anything.
    He could guess what the setup was. He knew there would be a reckoning, a payment.
    He hoped to be gone before that.
    He focused on the jacket, the bulge in the pocket. Kept everything else under lockdown. He X-rayed through: saw the disc, concentrated hard until it turned into money, turned into a one-way ticket.
    An escape to where they could never touch him again.
    ‘Fat boy’s moving,’ said Peta. Her turn at the window.
    Click. Click.
    ‘In a wheelbarrow?’ Amar looked up from the book he was reading.
    ‘Moving slowly, admittedly.’ She checked her watch. ‘Nearly five thirty. Off to meet one of his clients.’
    Amar stopped reading, looked up. ‘Bring them back to the house?’
    ‘Must be. He hasn’t got one of the kids with him.’
    ‘Let’s hope we have more luck with a positive I.D. for this one.’
    Click. Click.
    Peta sighed. Frustration starting to show. ‘We need a break. We need some leverage.’
    ‘I know. Don’t worry, we’ll get it.’
    ‘He’s in the car now.’
    Click. Click.
    Peta pulled a face. ‘Jesus, look at the state of that. He’s sweating already. Looks like a melting lard sculpture. Think he’s diabetic?’
    ‘What, you going to run over there, hide his insulin? I can think of better ways to get to him than that.’
    ‘Arms can barely reach the wheel. He’d be better off in an open cart pulled by a horse.’
    ‘A fucking big horse. Fucking Indian elephant couldn’t manage that. Speaking of which …’ Another look at the watch.
    She sighed again. ‘Off you go, then. At least it’s bringing in some money.’
    Amar smiled. ‘Don’t worry, sweetheart, I’ll think of you.’
    She wrinkled her nose in disgust. ‘You’d better fucking not.’
    ‘Take care. You’ll be all right, yeah?’
    ‘Go on. I’ll see you later.’
    The door closed quietly.
    Click. Click.
    ‘You comin’ down, man? Elise’s got bare draw.’
    Andy, the slack-jawed boy. Jamal’s room-mate.
    ‘Nah, man, I’m cool. Be down in a bit.’
    ‘Safe, man. Whatever.’
    Andy left the room, ambled downstairs. Jamal waiteduntil there was no noise from the top floor, crossed the room on tiptoe, closed the door. He silently removed his mobile from his jacket pocket.
    The rooms were quite small, two beds each. There were six in all living there, including him. Four boys, two girls. And Father Jack. Jack didn’t live there all the time, Si had explained, but he liked to know what was going on. His room was often in use most of the day or night. Jack brought round clients. Special clients

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