Page 70 of A Long Way Back
“I want to pay you,” Tay said on the afternoon of day three. “If I give you my bank card and my PIN, will you go and buy us some steaks and get a couple of hundred pounds out of my account?”
“You don’t need to pay me yet.”
“Please. I want to. I know you’re trying to help me. I’m sorry I keep lashing out. I think I could eat some steak now. Buy fillets, and potatoes to make chips. I really fancy some chips. Please.”
Ink took the card. He wasn’t stupid. He left the flat and waited out of sight at the edge of the garden square across the road. Every person who walked down the street, every car that pulled up, every bike that stopped, Ink watched to see if anyone went to number seventeen.
Tay called him after forty minutes and when Ink didn’t answer, Tay texted, telling him to hurry. Ink guessed Tay wanted him back with his money before the dealer came and not because there was some problem. He hoped he was right. Finally, more than an hour after he’d left, Ink saw a heavily built guy get off a motorbike, remove his helmet and approach the door. Ink hurried across the road and came up behind him with his key.
“Excuse me,” Ink said.
The guy moved aside and as Ink pushed the door open, the man stepped in after him. Tay stood at the door of the flat.
“Relieved to see me?” Ink said to an ashen-faced Tay, then turned to the man behind him.
He was well over six foot and had a thick beard and bushy eyebrows.
“Who’s this?” The guy stared at Ink.
“My flatmate,” Tay said.
“He’s not buying.” Ink looked the guy straight in the face.
“Yes, I am,” Tay said.
“No, you’re not.” Ink tried to edge Tay back into the flat only to find the man shoving both of them inside.
Ink caught hold of Tay to stop him falling, but the guy grabbed Ink’s elbow and pushed them further in before he kicked the door closed. Tay shook off Ink’s hold. Ink could hear Dog barking in the main room and was relieved Tay had shut him in there.
“What the fuck is going on?” the guy snarled.
“Give Lennie a hundred and twenty pounds,” Tay said.
“I didn’t get any cash. I forgot the number.”
Tay groaned. “Shit.”
“Don’t tell me I’ve come all the way over here and you have no money.” Lennie glared at Tay. “You want these?” He held up a bag of tablets. “Then you have to pay.”
“I’ll get my wallet.” Tay made for his room.
“He doesn’t have enough,” Ink said quietly. “Leave him alone. Ignore his calls. Please.”
“Please?” Lennie mimicked, then laughed and not in a nice way. “I’ve made a special journey. I don’t like my time being wasted. It makes me want to hit something.”
Ink gulped. “I’ll give you all the cash I have if you leave him alone.”
“Get it then.”
Tay was on his way out of the bedroom as Ink hurried past him. He grabbed his sock full of coins from his guitar bag and went back into the hall.
“Is this all you have?” Lennie glared at Tay and held up three twenty-pound notes.
“Ink was supposed—”
As Lennie closed in on Tay, Ink stepped between them and held out the sock. “Take it and take your codeine too. He doesn’t want it.”
Lennie narrowed his eyes. He grabbed the sock, hefted it for a second, then let out an exclamation of disgust. “What is it full of? Pennies from your piggy bank? You pair of wankers. What game are you playing?”
