Murder Mile Read Online Free PDF
Author: Tony Black
a bevy. He could grab a pint and then, at the weekend, he could see Hearts. The glorious Jam Tarts.
Henderson was free, he felt it like a rush. He raised his bag and ran towards the bus stop.
Chapter 5
ANGELA MICKLE HAD woken with a humming in her head, she didn’t quite know if it was the humming that came from a hangover or the humming that precipitated her withdrawal from heroin. She’d shot up but knew the slim takings she’d managed out on the Links the night before weren’t going to be enough to score again soon; and she would need to score again soon.
Her arms itched, her throat was dry and the humming in her head made her feel woozy. There were bruises too, finger marks on her arms; her last punter had been too rough, but he’d paid extra for that. She touched her lip, it had been split, she remembered the knuckle cracking off her teeth. She’d told him, bawled him out, but he said he was taking what he’d paid for and that was that. ‘Scream all you want you dirty whore, who’s going to hear you out here?’
That’s what he’d said.
He’d driven her to an old factory site in East Lothian, miles from anywhere and threatened to leave her there if she didn’t play along. As Angela gripped herself, felt her bruised ribs, it didn’t seem like such a good idea now. Even for the extra twenty pounds.
She looked at herself in the mirror that sat on the floor beside the mattress where she lay. Her dirty blonde hair needed washed, there was blood smeared in it. Her lips were cracked and scabbed, she couldn’t go out looking like this. But she needed to go out, to score. It was a Friday, punters were always looking to score at the end of the week, they were flush with wages. That’s what Hendy had told her; he had looked after her.
Angela knew she couldn’t go out in the daylight, there was too much aggro now from residents on the Links. Nosey bastards; Edinburgh was full of them. It was a town full of square pegs. It wasn’t her town any more, it didn’t feel like the place she’d grown up in, but she couldn’t see herself going anywhere else now; not any time soon anyway.
Angela raised herself from the mattress; she felt a little sick rising in her stomach, it reached her throat and she threw up on the floor. Some milky-white vomit splashed on the mattress and her foot. She leaned over and felt the knots in her stomach again.
‘Got to fucking score,’ she said.
As she reached over to the wall, tried to steady herself, she became vaguely aware of noise from beyond the front door of her flat. It jarred with the humming in her head, made her feel worse. But it was Leith, there was always noise in Leith stairwells. This was something different, however; it sounded like a celebration.
‘What the fuck’s going on?’
Angela pushed out her thin legs, they were bruised and scraped. At one stage her punter had kicked her out of his car, she’d landed in an overgrown bramble bush; she remembered now. So much of what she did seemed a haze at the time, but it always came back to her the next day. That’s when she wanted another hit, to block it all out. Angela Mickle didn’t want any reminders of what her life had become.
There was a knock at the door; heavy thuds.
Angela felt her heart kick. Little needles tingled at the back of her eyes. It didn’t feel like fear, but it was confusion. She tried to push herself forward. Her hands steadied herself on the wall as she placed one foot in front of the other, slowly at first, but then she found something close to a rhythm.
The knock came again. Louder this time.
‘Angela, open up, eh?’
It was a man, who?
She wasn’t expecting anyone, the rent was paid – it had been short but she wangled her usual five-finger discount from the landlord. He was starting to get greedy, had asked her to see to his friend as well.
‘Angela, fuck’s sake …’
She got close to the door, cupping her stomach in her hand like she was holding in the contents.
Henderson was free, he felt it like a rush. He raised his bag and ran towards the bus stop.
Chapter 5
ANGELA MICKLE HAD woken with a humming in her head, she didn’t quite know if it was the humming that came from a hangover or the humming that precipitated her withdrawal from heroin. She’d shot up but knew the slim takings she’d managed out on the Links the night before weren’t going to be enough to score again soon; and she would need to score again soon.
Her arms itched, her throat was dry and the humming in her head made her feel woozy. There were bruises too, finger marks on her arms; her last punter had been too rough, but he’d paid extra for that. She touched her lip, it had been split, she remembered the knuckle cracking off her teeth. She’d told him, bawled him out, but he said he was taking what he’d paid for and that was that. ‘Scream all you want you dirty whore, who’s going to hear you out here?’
That’s what he’d said.
He’d driven her to an old factory site in East Lothian, miles from anywhere and threatened to leave her there if she didn’t play along. As Angela gripped herself, felt her bruised ribs, it didn’t seem like such a good idea now. Even for the extra twenty pounds.
She looked at herself in the mirror that sat on the floor beside the mattress where she lay. Her dirty blonde hair needed washed, there was blood smeared in it. Her lips were cracked and scabbed, she couldn’t go out looking like this. But she needed to go out, to score. It was a Friday, punters were always looking to score at the end of the week, they were flush with wages. That’s what Hendy had told her; he had looked after her.
Angela knew she couldn’t go out in the daylight, there was too much aggro now from residents on the Links. Nosey bastards; Edinburgh was full of them. It was a town full of square pegs. It wasn’t her town any more, it didn’t feel like the place she’d grown up in, but she couldn’t see herself going anywhere else now; not any time soon anyway.
Angela raised herself from the mattress; she felt a little sick rising in her stomach, it reached her throat and she threw up on the floor. Some milky-white vomit splashed on the mattress and her foot. She leaned over and felt the knots in her stomach again.
‘Got to fucking score,’ she said.
As she reached over to the wall, tried to steady herself, she became vaguely aware of noise from beyond the front door of her flat. It jarred with the humming in her head, made her feel worse. But it was Leith, there was always noise in Leith stairwells. This was something different, however; it sounded like a celebration.
‘What the fuck’s going on?’
Angela pushed out her thin legs, they were bruised and scraped. At one stage her punter had kicked her out of his car, she’d landed in an overgrown bramble bush; she remembered now. So much of what she did seemed a haze at the time, but it always came back to her the next day. That’s when she wanted another hit, to block it all out. Angela Mickle didn’t want any reminders of what her life had become.
There was a knock at the door; heavy thuds.
Angela felt her heart kick. Little needles tingled at the back of her eyes. It didn’t feel like fear, but it was confusion. She tried to push herself forward. Her hands steadied herself on the wall as she placed one foot in front of the other, slowly at first, but then she found something close to a rhythm.
The knock came again. Louder this time.
‘Angela, open up, eh?’
It was a man, who?
She wasn’t expecting anyone, the rent was paid – it had been short but she wangled her usual five-finger discount from the landlord. He was starting to get greedy, had asked her to see to his friend as well.
‘Angela, fuck’s sake …’
She got close to the door, cupping her stomach in her hand like she was holding in the contents.
Similar Books
What If Ireland Defaults?
Brian Lucey
Jonah Havensby
Bob Bannon
Arcane Society Story 01 - The Scargill Cove Case Files
Jayne Ann Krentz
Himiko: Warrior
CB Conwy
Wingless
Taylor Lavati
The Ladder Dancer
Roz Southey
To Betray A Brother
G.W. Gibson
Blue Damask
Annmarie Banks
Baby Im Back
Stephanie Bond