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“Who’s asking?”
“It’s Sophie Harding. I rescued your dog.”
Knock me down with a fucking feather. “I’m taking care of her.”
“No, um, that wasn’t why I called. Well, it is, but it’s not.”
“Why call then, estate manager?”
Maybe she’d seen my street art, seen the message I left for her. It felt stupid now.
“I need someone for a job. A one-off. I thought maybe you...”
I tried to hold back the relief, disappointment hurts like a bastard when you get your hopes up too high. “What the hell can someone like you want from someone like me?”
A pause. “It’s a little... personal. I need someone tonight, someone who knows how to keep their mouth shut. Just for a few hours. Are you free?”
“What for?” I said, wary.
“I’m meeting someone, at a hotel. I need a man around, to keep an eye on things.”
“Security, like? I can do security.”
She sounded like she was smiling. “I thought you might be the man for the job.”
“How much you paying?” I wanted to say I owed her one, clear that debt from my tab, but I needed the money too bad.
“One fifty? Cash? Is that enough?”
“One hundred and fifty quid?! What you want me to do? Mess someone up?”
“No!” she snapped. “Of course not!” I liked her voice, all posh like. Flustered.
“I’ll do whatever you want for a hundred and fifty quid.”
I weren’t joking, either. I made a note of the address. A hotel in Kensington. Seven sharp.
And then I bought that fucking steak.
***
Callum
I skulked around the edge of Kensington Gardens. This place wasn’t for me. Posh white buildings with posh white steps and all their posh fucking plants outside. Posh people inside too, no fucking doubt about that. I smoked a roll-up and kept my eye on the street, waiting for Sophie Harding to show up. She arrived ten minutes early and hung around the front of the hotel opposite. She didn’t look like the woman I’d pinned by the garages. She was all made up, her hair all shiny and curled under her chin. More make-up on, too. Red lipstick, but not like the hookers round by East Veil. She looked good. Proper classy. Looked like she was planning on staying, judging by the suitcase she was pulling on wheels. She pulled her coat tight, looking back the way she came. Looking for me.
What the fuck did she want with someone like me?
I scuffed out my roll-up. Time to find out.
I wasn’t expecting the smile on her face. “Thanks for coming. Where’s Casey?”
“With a friend.” I nodded towards the hotel. “What we doing here?”
She pushed her hair behind her ear. Nervous, like. “I’ll go check in, meet me by the lifts.”
The place was as posh inside as out. People stared but pretended not to, holding their bags a little tighter as I passed. Sophie wasn’t long. I followed her into the lift and she pressed for the fourth floor.
“So?”
