Three Steps to Hell by Mike Holman Read Free Book Online Page B

the High Street and the Market Square were home to many successful family trading outlets which competed well with the normal High Street chains. A general market took place in the Market Square every Saturday and Wednesday.
    The Bull public house was situated on the eastern corner of the Market Square opposite the clock tower. The Bull was a very scruffy town pub frequented by many of the local criminal fraternity, general drunks and troublemakers. A scruffy pub with an immense large screen TV in one corner for the football. When football was on it was not a nice pub to be in. The landlord, Eric, a burly, loud Yorkshireman tolerated his clientele well, mainly because they all spent a lot of money on drink and if trouble arose, he and his staff were always ready, willing and able to deal with it, in fact, seemed to enjoy it at times. He had himself been on the wrong side of the law many times as a youngster in Yorkshire but got on fairly well with Tom. He considered him a good and fair copper and felt that it was always useful to have a friendly down to earth contact at the police station for when things did go wrong.
    Tom and Dave sat in a quiet corner of the lounge bar. Tom put his hand on the table and cringed as his hand stuck to the wood. It wasn’t the cleanest hostelry in town. The pub was usually quiet during lunch as it catered for light lunches for passing town trade, market traders and unselective office workers not too fussy about their surroundings. The evenings were a different matter. If it was an evening visit both Tom and Dave would have to endure unpleasant comments and gesticulations from Eric’s unsavoury customers and the atmosphere would be far more hostile. Tom quickly explained the purpose of his visit then said,
    “What do you fancy Dave?”
    “If we’re eating in here, a tetanus injection first, then a cheese and onion sandwich and coke, please Tom.”
    (Sweetface would always refer to Tom by his first name in public places, as they preferred to appear anonymous members of the public whenever possible).
    “I’m just going up to the bar to have a two minute chat with Eric, I’ll order while I’m up there.”
    Tom found Eric busy at the bar serving a couple of very pretty young girls of about 21 or 22, his eyes focused solidly on one of the girl’s ample and revealing cleavage.
    He finished their order.
    “Oh, hi Tom, didn’t see you there.”
    “No, your eyes and imagination were busily engaged elsewhere, I think Eric.”
    Eric laughed and replied, “Only pleasure I get these days Tom, just looking.”
    Tom ordered lunch and quickly spoke with Eric regarding Evans’ explanation about a fight at the pub the night before with some guys from out of town.
    “Load of rubbish Tom, neither Evans nor his mate Dorsey have been in here for about a week. I always make it my business to know when Evans is in the bar so I can watch him like a hawk ‘cos he’s nothing but bloody trouble when he’s pissed as you well know. No, it was really quiet in here last night, no strangers, no trouble, quite boring really. I heard a rumour recently that Evans has actually had a job driving a lorry or a van doing deliveries or something.”
    “Do you know who for?”
    “No idea but I can keep an ear open if you like.”
    “Yes let me know if you hear anything Eric.”
    Tom thanked Eric for his help, picked up the drinks he had ordered and walked back to the table where he had left Sweetface who had disappeared. Tom looked around the bar. Dave Sweeting was now talking to the same two girls that Eric had been leering at. Tom sat at the table alone for a few minutes until he returned.
    “Did you see them Tom, they’re gorgeous, thought I’d better go and say hello.”
    “I bet you did Dave, you just can’t leave it alone can you?”
    “Just doing my job, finding out about two gorgeous new chicks in town. They work at the bank, I think I’ll need to open a new account.”
    “Yeah, I’m sure you’d