Page 25 of Inbetweeners
“You don’t have to hold on to me.”
But he drove in a way that he knew would persuade Emmett to do just that.
“Do they want an army of dead people?” Emmett said. “Only guys? No women or kids? What are they going to do with them? It has to be someone who canseedead bodies or talk to dead people. So not an ordinary person.”
“A demon or a bent angel? Maybe a vampire? A witch? We don’t know who else can see the dead.”
“Maybe Tar can, whatever he is,” Emmett pointed out. “Do you think anyone else is trying to find who’s behind this or just us?”
“Probably just us. When we find them, our job’s done.”
They both went quiet for a moment.
“Great,” said Emmett.
“Yeah. See? I knew we’d agree on something. Maybe we can agree that we don’t need to rush this. You know how much you love looking at my arse.”
“I’m thinking of how many ways I loathe you.”
“Long list?”
“Enormous.”
“But my lovely arse isn’t on there.”
“Says who?”
“Do you have to have the last word?”
“Yes.”
“Fine, have it then.”
“Right.”
Nix laughed.
They didn’t speak again until they reached the first address Tar had sent. There was no one around.
“Should we ring the doorbell?” Emmett suggested.
“Can the dead open doors? Let’s see if I can find a way in first.”
The property was an end maisonette. Most of the row looked reasonably smart, but the one they were interested in had definitely seen better days. The uPVC window frames were grimy with dirt and algae, and the front garden was little more than cracked concrete with a smattering of hardy weeds. Though like every other property in the row, there was a satellite dish attached to the brickwork.
“You stay at the front door,” Nix told him.
Nix made his way to the back of the property and when he couldn’t get through the gate, he climbed over the wall. The backyard was scattered with empty bottles and a small amount of drug paraphernalia. He tried the handle and the door opened. Nix stood and listened before he walked in. He couldn’t hear anyone.
“Hello?” he called “I’m from the gas board. Suspected leak.”
There was a sudden sound of scrambling and Nix headed towards the source of the noise. Someone was moaning now, the sound coming from the front room. Nix hesitated, then bypassed that room to let Emmett in, but as he returned to pull open the door of the front room, a tall man in a hoody shoved him aside.
“Stop him leaving,” Nix snapped and stepped into the room the man had come from. There was a mattress in the corner with two people lying on it.Ah, no.Either they were identical twins or one was dead.
Emmett came into the room rubbing his arm.
“Where is he?” Nix asked.
