Shadows Creed (Shadows Creed #1)

Elementary my friend

“Thanks for the ride, buddy. You gonna come up?”

“Yeah, might as well.”

Jimmy had finally decided to head home. Brian had offered to drive him and the older man hadn’t turned it down. At any rate, neither man thought it was worth their time waiting around for their friend to see whether he would come around with Johnny, or not.

The two men trekked up the back stairs of the Laundromat where Jimmy used to work as a teenager but now just rented the space above it. The owner, who was his landlord, waved absently from the shop, a distant smile on his face.

As he waved back, Jimmy muttered to Brian, “He’s pissed at me.”

“Humph, I’m not surprised, you probably take forever to pay rent, and make a mess.”

Brian arrived at the door, which his friend always left unlocked. Jimmy’s view was that no one would ever be bothered breaking into the flat of the sneakiest thief in town. An unusual accolade to heap on oneself, but to be honest, that was what Jimmy was. And also odd, he was quite proud of the fact. It wasn’t that he stole anything of real worth, except for several items of interest to The Creed…but it was mostly random things, like the five trashcan lids that were his pride and joy.

The door creaked open at Brian’s hard push, revealing to the two men a mountain of stuff piled in the middle of the first room.

“Jesus, Rev…how much shit do you have in here?”

“A lotta shit he shouldn’t have.”

They both jumped at the disembodied voice, before realising it was just Zacky. He was slumped in a ratty looking couch, beer gripped in his right hand. His head was cocked to one side, a snide smirk on his face.

“Jesus, Zack, how’d you get in here?” Jimmy asked, half-jokingly.

Brian snorted. “The door was unlocked, Rev.”

“True.”

Zacky nodded. “Yep. Haven’t been here long, though. Shads dropped me off on the corner.”

“Oh, yeah? He headed home, yet?”

Zacky rolled his eyes, his response sharp. “Yeah. ‘bout fucking time too.”

“You sure he went back to his place? Val’s in a right stir about him.”

“Didn’t she go back to work today?”

“Yeah, Shads took her. But she was still upset. We dropped by the council before heading over here. She’s got too many things going in her head, she told us.” Brian walked across to the fridge as he spoke.

Jimmy flopped on the floor next to the mechanic, nodding along to what his friend was explaining. Zacky’s brow furrowed as he listened, absently rubbing a thumb over the mouth of the beer bottle. He said nothing though as Brian continued.

“What with the election and everything…and Shads being a real shit about everything.”

“How do you mean?” Zacky asked. “I hadn’t noticed that?”

Brian eyed him. “Well, I guess it isn’t as bad as all that. He’s just being a stubborn jerk, apparently.”

“What’re you talking about, man? I’m just pissed at him for the whole thing with The Creed. Youknow that.”

Jimmy lay back on the floor, and stretched his feet out. “It’s not something you would know, right? I mean, you’re not married into the family.”