The next punch was barely a pat. Mr Pain dragged in a huge breath, but there wasn t a scream to follow it. Instead he dropped to his knees, panting, right arm held out horizontally to his body, the fingers splayed, as if he was waving to the devil all the way down there in hell.
I kneed him in the face.
A grunt and he rocked back. I let go of the buggered arm and took a handful of hair at the back of Mr Pain s head, then introduced the front of it to the third step from the bottom.
Thunk.
One s a wish
I pulled him back up, and did it again, putting all my weight behind it.
Thunk.
Two s a kiss
Blood spattered across the stairs.
Three s a disappointment.
THUNK.
He went limp.
I let go and staggered back a couple of steps, panting. Should ve done done your homework, you thick bastard, and brought a few friends I was kicking kicking the shit out of arseholes like you back when back when
Ah fuck it. I slumped against the wall.
The hall was completely trashed, the staircase ruined, the carpet covered with bits of shattered wood and blood, the air reeking of plaster dust, copper, and rancid-oniony sweat.
His plumber s mace glinted in the corner, by the coat rack.
I wobbled over, bent down, and grabbed it. The world waltzed when I straightened up again, something pounding inside my skull, threatening to pop my brain out through my ears.
Lean on the kitchen door for a bit. Get my breath back. Try not to throw up.
OK.
Any minute now.
Deep breaths.
Ow Adrenalin was a great anaesthetic, but see when it started to wear off? The knuckles of my left hand pulsed and throbbed, my shoulders felt as if they d been wrapped in hot barbed-wire, the small of my back stung, my stomach burned, and everything else ached.
Getting too old for this kind of thing.
Right. Time to take care of my visitor.
I turned, the length of spiky-pipe swinging loose at my side.
He was lying at the foot of the stairs, curled up in a ball, shuddering, clutching his twisted left arm, face a ruptured mess. For someone calling himself Mr Pain, he didn t seem to enjoy it very much.
I grabbed him by the collar and dragged him through into the kitchen leaving a slick of dark red on the dirty linoleum then out the back door into the garden.
Dark out here. A sickly glow bounced back from the low clouds, just enough to make out vague shapes and turn everything monochrome. Steam rose from the big man s body, breath fogging the air as I dumped him by the hole where a whirly washing drier would have stood, if some thieving Jakey bastard hadn t nicked it.
The drizzle had started up again, soothing and cool. I turned my face to the sky and let it soak into my skin.
Got to take pleasure in the little things.
I rested the spiky end of the pipe on Mr Pain s ankle. Tapped the spines against the joint. You know how this is going to go, don t you?
The big man gurgled and twitched.
Yeah. I swung the mace overhead. That s about right.
I hauled the boot open and threw the wheelie suitcase in next to Dr McDonald s posh red luggage.
She turned and stared at me between the seats. I thought you said you d only be five minutes, it s been quarter of an hour, what if something happened, that dog s been sniffing around the car She pulled her head back, eyebrows furrowed, top lip curling. What happened to your face?
I slammed the hatchback shut again, then turned and limped back into the house, grabbed one of the cardboard boxes from the spare room. Put it in the boot, then did the same twice more, until there wasn t room in there for anything else. That was the only good thing about living in a shithole it wasn t worth unpacking after Michelle threw me out.
One last trip inside. I dragged out my phone on the way up the knackered staircase and called Parker. Seemed to take forever, but eventually he picked up, voice all muggy and slurred. Embers! How they hangin?
Already pissed. Or high. I need you to stay away from the house for a bit.
You re no shaggin her again tonight, are you, Embers? God, man, you re a randy
It s not safe, OK? Someone wrecked the place. I pulled back the bedroom carpet and prised up the loose floorboard. Reached inside, pulled out Rebecca s cigar box, cradled it against my chest.
Fuck Wasn t Big Johnny Simpson, was it? Man, I swear I didn t know she was his sister, she
Find somewhere else to crash for a while: go see Mum or something. Through to the bathroom. The front panel came off the bath easily enough. I grabbed the collection of zip-lock bags hidden under the tub and stuffed them in my pockets. Back down the stairs.
Embers, I m sorry, OK? I didn t mean
I ll call you when I get back. I hung up, slammed the front door behind me, and hobbled over to the Renault.
Dr McDonald peered at me from the passenger seat, eyes wide, chewing on her bottom lip.
