Here’s Day 3 of my crime short story Selfie. I’m serialising the story, free and complete, all this week here and at www.facebook.com/DannyLancasterInvestigates. Here’s:
SELFIE: day 3 of 5
The pint was flat and tasteless but it hadn’t been that great to start with. Danny hadn’t been in the pub before and he wouldn’t be visiting again. It was a dump.
He sat with his phone in his hand, pretending to do something important. A guy alone scoping the place would stick out like a dog’s prized possessions. He watched the pounding music driving a rippling circle in and out across the surface of his lager. Ryan Black and his mates had been propping up the bar for ninety minutes, slogging through beers and vodka chasers. Florid and loud. Cheering every time a girl had to press past them to get to the loos.
Danny hadn’t liked Black before he’d seen him and first impressions hadn’t done the guy any favours. As his watch crawled round to the two-hour mark he saw the five guys call a cab and vanish noisily into the night. Danny wanted his bed. He left the pint on the table.
***
Danny wasn’t entirely convinced by this global warming business but it couldn’t hurt to hedge your bets by showering with a friend. As he towelled himself down Emma emerged from behind the frosted screen, dripping.
“You ok, Em?”
“My back’s a bit bruised from the tiling.”
“Sorry, got carried away.”
“I’ll say.”
Danny bent to dry his thighs, water dripping from the prosthetic attached to the stump of his left leg.
“Let me do that,” said Emma. “You’ve got to be careful or you’ll rust.”
She took the towel, crouched down, began to rub vigorously around the false leg and up his thigh. Then she looked up at him.
“You in a hurry?” Emma asked.
“Got to go to a football match.”
“That’s ninety minutes, isn’t it?”
“Not counting injury time.”
“You could catch the second half.”
***
Fair play to the guy, he might not be much of a human being but he was a good footballer. Ryan Black was the star player for Sporting Brighton, in a different league to his teammates, running rings round the opposition. And they pulled in a reasonable crowd of girlfriends and supporters who cheered every time Black touched the ball.
Danny had made it to the match fifteen minutes into the second half. He found himself beside an attractive redhead who jumped a foot off the ground and shouted every time Black made a move.
“Big fan, are you?” asked Danny. She smiled.
“Better than sitting at home waiting for them till the pub shuts.”
“You know the players?”
“I’m with Baz.”
“He seen much action today?”
“He’s good but everyone cheers for Ryan. He’s our top player. We’ve moved ten places up the table since he joined.”
“Talented guy.”
“He’s so good he could go a long way.”
“You reckon?”
“We get scouts down here all the time.”
The redhead nudged Danny and pointed.
“See that guy in the green jacket?”
Danny nodded.
“He’s a talent scout. Ryan could be heading for the big time. He’s promised me a ride in his Lambo when he gets one.”
“Impressive.”
A roar rippled along the touchline. The redhead turned to look. Danny slipped away.
***
“What do you reckon?”
“Who are you?”
“Just a fan. Girl over there said you were a scout looking at Ryan.”
The little guy in the green jacket heard a shout and turned to follow the play.
“Ronnie Matthews.”
“Danny Lancaster, pleased to meet you.”
“Word gets around fast.”
“Ryan’s our star player. We’d hate to lose him.”
“What makes you think you will?” said Matthews, his eyes never leaving the play.
“Well, not everyone goes through academies, do they?” said Danny. “Vinnie Jones, Stuart Pearce, Les Ferdinand, Stan Collymore, they all started in lower leagues. This isn’t the first time you’ve been here so you must be interested.”
“No comment.”
“Didn’t mean to be nosy. The supporters would be sad to see him go but at least it’d give them a chance to step up.”
“You’re right there. The rest of this lot aren’t in Ryan’s league.”
“So you are interested?”
“Look, it’s confidential, a commercial decision. If anything happens you’ll read about it in the sports pages. All I can say is that if that boy can maintain the standard he’s playing at and keeps his nose clean then good things could happen. Fair enough?”
“Fair enough.”
***
Sporting Brighton beat the opposition by three goals to one, two of them scored by Ryan who was cheered off the pitch. When the teams disappeared in the pavilion their supporters started to drift away. Danny leaned against a tree as the players emerged twenty minutes later in twos and threes.
Last out were Tweddle, Wilding, Bramley, Bashir and Ryan Black. After a lot of back-slapping Tweddle, Wilding and Bashir made their farewells and walked to their cars. Black followed Bramley to a silver VW estate. Bramley opened the tailgate and threw his kit inside. The two men talked for a while then shook hands. Bramley drove away as Black walked to his Audi TT.
As Danny watched something struck him as odd. He just didn’t know what.
***
It was a lucky dip, really. Danny’s nights were often restless. You never knew what you’d get till you finally drifted off. He was sleeping fitfully when a series of grating jangles battered at his weary brain. He rolled over, pushed the pillow out of the way and reached for his mobile.
Gemma’s number. He looked at the time. After 2am. Suddenly he was awake.
“Gemma?”
“Who is this?”
“This is Gemma’s number.”
“I know it is. And you don’t sound like a kid. So who the hell are you?”
Danny’s dopey brain tried to unravel what was happening.
“How do you know Gemma?” the voice demanded.
“I…”
“Listen, I’m Gemma’s father. She’s been upset lately. She won’t talk to her mum or me. Then I find your number on her phone. What’s your game? You some sort of pervert?”
“Look…”
“Don’t look me, mate. You try phoning Gemma again and I’ll call the police.”
“You’re…”
“How old are you? Go on, how old? You one of these sickoes who touch up little girls?”
“I can’t…”
“You go near her and I’ll kill you.”
The line went dead.
MORE TOMORROW
█ SELFIE is an edited version of a short story in my new Danny Lancaster crime novel Gargoyle Pixie Dog which is a short thriller plus six short crime stories. That’s a lot of crime for 99p. It’s available as an Amazon ebook. Just click this link – www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B010T2CHK4. Part 4 will be published here and on Danny’s Facebook page tomorrow.
█ GARGOYLE PIXIE DOG has got a cracking review from @sarahhardy681 at https://bytheletterbookreviews.wordpress.com/2015/07/22/gargoyle-pixie-dog-by-bill-todd/
©BILL TODD