Highbridge Read Online Free PDF Page A

roses are my favourite. And because I love the way you love me.’
    Joey looked across and she had that wicked grin again. ‘And I love the way you love me too, but why is Tanya keeping Becky under house arrest?’
    ‘She’ll tell me tomorrow.’
    Joey gave an exaggerated exhale of breath. Fed up. ‘My daughter’s sabotaging my homecoming and you haven’t even got the inside track to gossip about. Should have agreed to go out with the lads over to—’ But he was interrupted by a sharp blow to his right biceps as Natasha’s left arm lashed out, just as he spotted something, or someone, on the side of the road. ‘Pull over. Just for a sec.’
    ‘What for?’
    As soon as she stopped he was out of the car and moving towards the Costa. Natasha turned to see Joey hand-clutching and shoulder-hugging Matt who was now carrying a couple of to-go’s and a panini bag.
    ‘How’s it going?’ Joey asked.
    Matt glanced across at the car and waved to Natasha as he spoke.
    ‘Does she, er, know anything?’
    Joe just looked at him. Get real.
    Matt nodded. ‘Friggin’ freezing up there in the wind, but we’ve got the fatty’s POLO down to the minute. We know more about him than Tesco do on his Club Card.’
    ‘Er, what’s his POLO?’ Joey asked, once again bewildered by jargon.
    ‘Pattern of Life Operations. Another yankism,’ Matt explained.
    ‘You positive it’s happening?’ Joey asked.
    ‘Positive,’ Matt confirmed. ‘He slips the gear in with the fish and chips. Just have to know the right combo to ask for.’
    ‘What? Fish and chips with salt, vinegar and throw in a bit of crack?’
    ‘It’s slightly more subtle than that. But, basically, yeah. Cod is coke. Has a “C”. Haddock has a “H”. For smack.’ Then in answer to Joey’s puzzled look, ‘Yeah. Smack. Heroin.’
    ‘What would I get if I asked for jellied eels?’
    ‘Funny looks. You been down sarf too long,’ Matt replied.
    ‘Tell me about it,’ Joey replied with a giveaway glance at the Q7. An obvious raw nerve. ‘But how’s it work?’
    ‘Like all scams.’ Matt grinned. ‘Dead simple when you figure it out. They have their own currency.’
    ‘What?’
    ‘Druggie meets the banker round the corner. Druggie hands over cash. Banker hands back note. Any note. Fiver, tenner, whatever, right? Druggie then gets back same note with a C or H or whatever on it.’ He held out his arms. Simple. Then chuckled again. ‘But not J. And they couldn’t do cockles either. ’Cos that’d have to be C too.’
    ‘Could be an E, though,’ Joe offered. ‘For eels.’
    Matt nodded, taking the point. ‘Or E for Ecstasy, I suppose. Anyhow, druggie then takes marked note in to Fatty, say, one with a C. “Cod and chips” he asks for, but Fatso waits until he sees the C note. Recognises a real customer and gives him a special.’
    ‘Neat. But how does he pass over the goods without others seeing him?’ Joey asked.
    ‘We haven’t got that next link in the chain. But we will,’ he added with a grin as he directed Joey’s eyes to the Q7. ‘Haven’t you got things to do?’
    Joey glanced back at the waiting car. Like Natasha earlier, he could see a familiar look and read familiar body language. Even at 20 yards. ‘Er, yeah. I’ll catch you tomorrow.’
    Sean was looking for his cufflinks. He wore them so infrequently he never remembered where he put them. And he couldn’t ask Sandra because she would remind him of the fact. Sod it, he thought, and as usual folded back the cuffs. He spent a fortune on Sandra’s jewellery but never bothered much himself. He liked watches, though. She had bought him a gold Longines out of their first year’s dividend from the garden centre, but he got so fed up taking it off every time he had to roll his sleeves up properly that it stayed in the drawer for five years. Then one Christmas she surprised him with a Jaeger-Lecoultre Polo. It was, he had discovered, originally designed in 1931 for actually playing