‘What do you mean?’
‘I mean you. Mr Respectable. Getting all huffy with us because we don’t shut the door of your precious building. Looking down your nose at us. And now you want in? You want to be one of us?’
No, Scott thought. I don’t want to be one of you. You’re scum. I’m nothing like you. I’m using you, that’s all.
‘I need the money.’
‘Why? What’s the rush?’
‘Does it matter? I just need it. Can you help me or not?’
They stared into each other’s eyes. Scott felt as though it was some kind of test of his sincerity, and that to break eye contact would be a mistake.
Say yes, he willed. Don’t make me beg.
‘Let me make some calls,’ Biggo said. He moved away, headed out of the building.
Through the glass doors, Scott saw Biggo pull a mobile phone from his hoodie. He turned to find the other youths looking at him in silence, their eyes glinting. Temporarily leaderless, they seemed to Scott like an anarchic pack of wolves that had scented blood and were tempted to rip him apart.
He checked his watch again. Prayed that Gemma didn’t wander down into the foyer. Outside, Biggo had lit up a cigarette and was smiling as he talked into his phone. It all seemed far too casual for what was, to Scott, such a momentous negotiation.
He breathed again when Biggo re-entered the building.
‘Okay,’ Biggo said.
‘Okay what?’
‘It’s on. The deal you asked for.’
Scott was suddenly at a loss for words. Unbelievably, a mountain had been turned into a hillock. It all seemed too effortless.
‘It’s on?’
‘Yup. Figure I gave them was two grand. You’re still going with that, right? I don’t want to have to call them again.’
‘No. I mean yes. Two grand. But . . .’
‘But what? Don’t be wasting my time here.’
The question had been burning in Scott’s mind for the past few minutes. He knew it was disrespectful, but he had to get it out in the open.
‘I just want to know . . . what do you get out of this?’
He expected a storm. What he got was a smile.
‘You’re starting to think like a businessman. I get a percentage.’
‘Does it come out of my profits?’
‘You should still double, even after I take my cut.’
Which made Scott wonder exactly how much money was being made in total, and whether he should have pushed for more. It would have been so much sweeter to hit that ten grand.
But that bridge had been crossed. He’d learnt a lesson that he hoped would never come in useful again.
‘And we can do it this evening? I need the money by nine o’clock at the latest.’
He had pushed for a ten o’clock meeting with Ronan, and needed to build in travel time plus the possibility of delays.
‘You’ll have it by nine.’
Scott wanted to say thank you. It was the way he’d been brought up. But he got the feeling that it would be a sign of weakness.
‘I’ll get the two grand,’ he said, and started to move away.
‘Whoa! Hold on there, cowboy.’
‘What’s wrong?’
‘First of all, you don’t just hand over your money like that. You don’t know me from Adam. What are you planning to do – ask for a receipt?’
‘I don’t know. I thought—’
‘Secondly, this isn’t my deal. It’s your deal. I just set it up. I ain’t gonna get caught by the cops making a deal this big.’
‘I don’t understand. How do I—?’
‘I’ve arranged a meet, okay? Eight o’clock on Shardlake Street, not far from the big B&Q. You know it?’
