Every Second Counts

Chapter Five

THE HULK ARRIVES AT MY DOOR with several surveillance tapes which he gives to me as I hand over £1,000. I'm not as nervous of this large, head shaven, tattooed man as I used to be and I reckon it's because he shared with me on an earlier visit that he had a daughter about my age which must mean he's sort of human? A bit normal?

'Thanks,' I say and go to close the door but he puts his foot forward stopping the action.

'What's up?' I ask.

He sighs and lumbers into my apartment, sits on my couch and we both watch Floppy slink out of the room and down the hallway.

'None of my business. But, exactly why do you want these surveillance tapes?' he asks as he casts his eyes around Red's apartment.

I want to agree with him that it is none of his business, but I reckon he isn't going to leave until I tell him something or other. 'I think one of my Psychiatrist's clients may have been connected in some way to my parent's deaths. With Patrick...you know...killing himself, I don't know how I can get hold of his client. I want to look through the tapes and take a snap of his face. See if you or someone knows who he is and where he lives.'

'And what do you plan to do if you find him? I mean, come on, if he is a murderer, do you really think it's going to be that simple to drag him down to the police station?' He's smirking and casting his eyes up and down my slight frame. And I know he has a point.

'Of course not. I'm just going to track him down, maybe follow him and see if I can get some evidence that he's the man I'm after.'

'I know better people than me have given you this advice...but here it is, for what it is worth. Whoever this bloke is...'

'The name in his file says he's Rueben Aberdeen,' I interrupt. 'But I'm sure he's using a false name. I've googled his name, nothing.' The Hulk raises an eyebrow at my comment which gives him a menacing stance and has a chilling effect on me. I try to keep my breathing even as my knees start to buckle underneath me.

'Whoever. Just leave it to the old Bill. Save yourself a trip to the cemetery and all your loved ones the agony of knowing they told you to mind your bloody business and you didn't take a blind bit of notice of them.' He marches around the room and I can see his fists clenching. He stops within my personal space, facing me, towering over me. He places his large calloused hands on my narrow shoulders. I look up. He tilts his face forward and as he warns me, his spittle glistens in the sunbeam and sparkles across the room, 'Mind your fucking business. Just find out who the geezer is, if you have to and then either hand the info over to the old Bill or ring me. Got it?' I nod nervously and he releases his hands from my shoulders. As he turns and heads to the doorway, I dab at my face to remove his spit.

When The Hulk leaves I jump into the shower. Yuk! Hulk spittle. But as I wash myself from top to bottom I wonder about his words, mind your bloody business,' and it flits through my mind, that The Hulk could have been the one who thumped me outside my accountant's workplace that dark night.

Fuck! It's one thing to know someone has dirt on me regarding Patrick's death, but what if The Hulk is after me too? Would that mean The Fixer isn't being a Fixer, for me?

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