"Well, make it stick," I say. "Don't let 'em off the hook."
"Don't worry, Charlie. Everyone wants a win on this one. Top Brass. High Court. Parliament. The whole lot.”
"And this Grezda," I say. "He's a big fish?”
“He’s a prize, but I think we can get a plea bargain. Reel in someone bigger.”
"The thought of him getting off—bloody grates on me,” I say.
"Grates on all of us," Clarke says. "But you know the game, Charlie. The higher we go . . .”
“Yeah, I get it,” I say. “So what about me? Am I home free, or what?”
"Not exactly,” Clarke says. “You've annoyed some powerful people. They've got your face and name, Charlie."
"And you lot?"
"Gotta come after you, I'm afraid."
“Huh. Wouldn’t expect anything less.”
"I've stalled things the best I can," Clarke says. "But you've only got a few hours until the manhunt kicks in. After that, they'll shut down the stations and airports."
"I'll be long gone by then," I say.
"You get your passports? Your documents?"
"All sorted," I say. "There's one thing I wanna know, though. At the hospital. Did you leave those paperclips on purpose?”
"I don't know what you're talking about," Clarke says.
"Yeah, that's what I thought."
"Anyway . . ." Clarke says, waiting.
"Oh the name, nearly forgot” I say. “It’s Bridlington."
"Bridlington?" Clarke says. "You sure?"
“I saw him at the clinic, with Grezda. And my friend, Amira—she was in the room with 'em.”
"His wife has a heart condition," Clarke says.
"From what Amira said, he's been trading favours to pay for private healthcare. And willing to skip the waiting lists for a transplant." Clarke goes quiet as he takes in the implications. “I suppose on one level, you can't blame the man,” I say. “You know him?”
“Oh, I know him," Clarke says. "Good luck, Charlie."
I hang up and leave Detective Clarke to another fresh mess. Never thought I'd end up working with a copper. Never thought I'd grow to like him. I suppose they’re not all bad.
As a cleaner pushes a cart by me, I slip the burner inside an open rubbish bag. I hear the roar of distant jet engines. See a 747 climbing steep into the blue London skies. I pull my small, black travel case through a set of automatic doors, into Terminal 3. Different to the one I dropped Amira and Rima off at.
It's still early, but Heathrow is nice and busy. Easy to disappear. I stop below a bank of departure screens. I look through the flight times and destinations.
Britain's out.
Eastern Europe, too.
And the Albanian lot are bound to come looking for me in Spain.
But there's a whole world I've never explored. Asia, Africa, Australia, America.
All the A's.
I make a snap decision. I ask if there are any seats going spare at an airline booking desk. Turns out I'm in luck. A friendly blonde woman tells me there's a flight leaving in an hour. And there's one spot left on the plane— a last-minute deal.
"I'll take it," I say, lifting my case onto the scales.
She books me onto the flight and hands me my ticket.
I thank her and move on. I take a look around me, checking my surroundings. Not a copper or mobster in sight.
With nothing but a passport in hand, I melt into the crowd. And I'm gone.
<<<<>>>>
Guide to Charlie Cobb & UK Slang
Bloke - Man
Bollocks - Expression of frustration / testicles
Boozer - Pub
Burner - Disposable phone
Butty - Sandwich
Brew - Cup of tea
Chippy - Fish & Chip shop
Cig - Cigarette
Dickhead - Foolish or annoying person
Geez / Geezer - Man, or male friend
Goon - hench-person
Jizz - Semen
Knackered - Exhausted or Broken
Lad - boy, male teen or young man
Love - way of addressing a stranger
Mate - friend (may not be a friend)
Muff - Vagina / Prostitutes
Narky - irritable, snarky, snide
Nick - Steal
Old Bill - Police
Pal - friend (may not be a friend)
Pig(s) - Police officer(s)
Piss - Urine / Urinate
Prossies - Prostitutes
Roller - Rolls Royce
Slaphead - follically-challenged individual
Strangeways - High security prison in Manchester, UK
Tea - Dinner / Evening meal (also means cup of . . . )
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Acknowledgments
For my family, friends and all the fantastic people who’ve left me a review, a comment, sent me a kind email or helped to spread the word about my books. I can’t thank you all enough.
Special thanks to everyone who helped me to improve and launch the book. In no particular order:
Richard Austin, Keith Day, Zen, Claire Cash, Courtney Whitfield, Christina Miles, Graham Galloway, Karen Hayward, Pierre Borlase, Susan Weir, Clive Lester, Jane Rushton, Dave Stokes,
Mike Reid, Lee Murphy, CrazyLady(and Pets), Jo Goddard, Simon Hall, Stephon Bishop, AJ Webb, Ian Card, Steve Cocksey, Carolyn (carobillann), Peter Thomas
John Dodd, Julie Lawton, Lynne Lewis, Brian Stevens, Sunita Thapa, Michelle McCairn, Brian Taylor, Heather Munns, Ian Morris, Tony Ryan, Nicola Branigan
Nabil Elfathi, Grant Crimmins, Kevin(1700), Stephen Riley McCabe, Richard Snowdon, Linda Clarke, Neilani Hayashi, Joe Godwin-Austen, Eric Martin
Nick Collymore, Judith (lswampduck), David Brown, Cheryl Ferguson, skathy Elizabeth Hobbins, Bernard Emmerson, Malcolm Barber, Denise Hind
Deep breath … and continue …
Jackie Nixon, Sara Marzell, Jason Heenan, Trevor Stevenson, Twthreecardiff, keith1947, Michael Brignull, Phil Reilly, Introontonight, John Henson, Osborneursula, angelinerock16, jlaing51, Oliver Reynolds, Elainemcl, Nathan Coverdale, kazf04, Andy Jones, Kaci Johnson, Katie McMillan, Morag Taylor, Geoff Heath, Hilmunday, Davya
eden.circle, Stephen Shelley, Paul Williams, D. Simpson
, S. Mottershead, h.l, Paul Standen, Lovedamilola7, misslily2001, Alsilverfox, Brad Melton, M.L.J. Smith, Chris Elesmore, giftmerit, John, Kirsty Chater, brianjohn.bc, Damon Weaver, Rpdtxsg Andrew Worthington, Mary Foster, aquasplash101, annearm72, cesmo264
khrys933, Chris Hendley, Nigel Castledine, kaporter51, geellis, John Nooman, Annie Beia, whoatethecookie, Tracey Dalloway, cp14bob, johnallright, benslieblue, Paul Clark, Ady Bunce, Liz Lambton, Trevor Roberts, mikeysgirl7604, Magroo.gw, Mandy Went, philsue129, C. Young, Solms, Frankaction, rfishhead, misskatep, J.J. Feely, Joyce Lemley, sb512002, nathacha.olive, Berdexpl, samwest.gibson, gjones_n
Kevin Ray Brooks, Dizidav, escape88, Rebecca McIntosh, jillgreen.woodstock
S.R.Winter, Sandra Stenhouse, Kel James, Niall Dowling, cajm2708, Rich Smith
Claire Stride, iansd, Rich Owen, violet.h64, Alain Rautenbach, walsallwalsallfc, Tam Ward, Michael Parker, delleflower, stumpytheloveferret, desmond020761, robby80
ferioli3, melatman, schoolmouse52, jpbookworm2, Denise Dack, revgeorgefisher, D. Badsey, P.G. Sutherland, hayleewo2000, ruthdzierzba, Josephine Nicholson, walkerchrischristine, thegraysat38, Neilforward63, Jessica Crackett, r.ae-garbett, bobndeb80, bambihotel, siddiquiumer23, Phyllis Layton, franroy, leerachael
C. McNulty, Sara, 12wilsonr, Barry Keating, P. Green, Mike Powell, tracey9461, goodtimothy, heads, Linda Potts, Lynn Fisher, rebelmamaone
Another deep breath…
jinty135, Robert Browning, Robert Ferguson, andy.b77, jjn038, Michael Dickingson, porrik01, oldgreyhead, Alex Cranswick, ronhydo, Wendy Makinson, k21payne, David.Harbour, Alwyn Crothers, keith.21, erismanw, clairew246, brucebar9, Tim Ellwood, The Cards, Sally Ashby, jeff@family, Terry Adams, Kezie Dee, Stuart Mcatee, Nicola Pinkerton, Craig Stacey, rba81795, Glyn, David Haytree, pat1jen14, Chris Kingsbury, T. Douglas, Louise Manfield, David Watson, J. Beirne, jimd, Jo Shannon, jungly134, Joyce Dean, hutchie1955, Ken Davies, Geraldine Hickey, Katrina Holden, H.J. Randall, Ron Bailey, Margaret Lambchapman, candyleila, Debra Crerar, Peter Littlecarew, caro.kerr, Dawn Jenkins, Cazz Matthews, Nick Stimpson, mikeandjay, craftyden1, honeyforliz, Neil Rea, Ron Spunt, Steve Morters, Steve, vkcoulson, Carmen B, dnjbullard, Jamison Cole, Denis McFarland, Carl Tracy, 2darwin, Andrew Fowler, nwpll, Rob Gosling, davcaddy, raysway, veggieyes, gretchm, laborlaser
Philip Pennington, rranch13, Jacyntha Chetty, rookerynook, catsmeow47
Copyright © 2017 by Rob Aspinall
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