Sure Fire

Rich closed it and put it back on the shelf. “Dunno,” he said. “But I can remember the way from the map. Come on, we’ve got fifteen minutes before his meeting.”

The moment they were out of the shop, the woman who had been standing on the other side of the bookcase, listening carefully, took a mobile phone from her small handbag. She pushed aside her long, straight black hair as she made the call.

“Totters Lane,” she said, as soon as the call was answered. “The scrapyard. He’ll be there in about ten minutes.”

Chance paused to have a cigarette. He was surprised to find the packet was full.

He stared at the tightly-packed ends of the cigarettes and frowned. He had not finished the packet, and his lighter had been inside. His mind raced through the possibilities. He checked his watch, and decided it was too late to get back to the flat and have it out with Jade and Rich. He had to be at the scrapyard in less than ten minutes. He’d decide what to do then.

In the mean time, he had a box of matches in his pocket. He could at least have a smoke.

* * *

Ten minutes later, out of breath, Rich and Jade arrived at the scrapyard. Huge, heavy metal double gates were standing slightly open at the end of the lane. Jade eased through first, followed by Rich.

There were no lights inside the yard. The high gates and walls kept out most of the light from the streets outside. They found themselves in a world of shadows and silhouettes. There was an open area immediately inside the gates, where lorries and cars could drive in. After that the place was a jungle of discarded debris. Cars were piled on top of each other, crushed down under the weight from above. Prams and old shopping trolleys, iron bedsteads and old bicycles lay in heaps. Pages of damp newspaper blew like tumbleweed through the landscape.