2500

‘It’s gonna cost ya!’

The words shot across the table like bullets, their very effect rattling into his already bruised brain as he tried to balance fairness with control and revenge.

‘But it’s me?’ he tried to reason, his blood-shot eyes staring across to the wilt like creature across from him.

‘Don’t matter. It’s still gonna cost ya. Two and half grand. Cash. Up front. Don’t try and haggle or else I walk away and good luck with finding another loser to do your dirty work.’

Bayliss let the words sit there for a while, passing around his thoughts and diving in and out to see if an equation would add up. It wouldn’t.

‘OK,’ he muttered, ‘Tuesday week?’

‘Yea.’

‘No trace to me?’

‘No trace to no one!’

‘OK.’

Hands were shook, fates were sealed. Two and half thousand of your English pounds to rub out a story told.

A X