Too late I heard laugher from the corridor — a lot of laughter.
‘Sorry sir but I’m not sure I can help. You do realise you are through to Edinburgh Zoo.’
I slammed down the phone and outside the door sounded like the audience at the funniest show on earth. I stormed out. There were at least eight in the corridor including the little shit.
Seals. Zoo. Ha, bloody, ha.
Chapter 44
Tuesday April 29th 2008
I’ve been off sick for two days and thought I’d try dictating my thoughts for the first time in a while. I still hate the job but I got a bit of a promotion and no longer clean vomit and piss.
Me and the kitchen lad are still at war but he is well wary after I caught him outside a week ago and introduced his nuts to my right foot.
If I keep going at this rate I’ll have enough cash to get to Mallorca by late July. The new job helps. I sometimes get front of desk and that means tips.
My guts are killing me right now. I tend to eat in the kitchen if I can and I swiped some meat from the fridge for a sandwich mid shift. If I have food poisoning I reckon I could send a bill to the hotel for the agony I have just saved them if a guest had eaten the stuff.
Martin is like a ghost at the moment. I do nights he does days. I’m gone before he is in at night and he is away before I’m back. I do weekends. He doesn’t. I’ve seen him twice in the last few weeks and things are getting strained. I’m paying no rent and he knows I’m earning — but I can’t afford to give him a penny. All I do is work, eat, shit, sleep and save.
End of recording for today. I need to go to the toilet. The meat is on its way back again.
Gordon Brown
59 Minutes
Wednesday May 14th 2008
Back in my scratcher. This time I’m down with the flu. Martin is sick of me big time. This is the first day I can sit up. It hit me hard and I’m an invalid. I went on line this morning to check flights but I’m next to useless on the bloody thing. The prices seem to be climbing by the day — the cost of fuel has gone bananas.
Martin mentioned the ‘r’ word this morning and I pretended I needed to throw up. I’m not sure how much longer I can freeload.
Gordon Brown
59 Minutes
Friday May 16th 2008
I invited the computer geek over on pain of death and he came. I asked him to do the internet thing and he came up with a package on a car, a hotel and a flight that I might just be able to afford.
He sealed the deal and I used my newly acquired debit card to pay ten percent now and the balance is due six weeks before I fly. I’ll need to pull out my finger and get in the overtime if I’m to meet the bill. There is an opportunity to move to the day shift and also pull some stints behind the bar at night.
Once I’m out of this bed I’m going 24/7 to put money in the coffers and then I can get on with my real life.
Gordon Brown
59 Minutes
Friday June the 20 ^th 2008
I paid the balance of the trip today and I’m dead on my feet. I’ve never worked so hard. I haven’t had a day off in over a month and I’ve been pulling double shifts six days out of seven. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve fallen asleep in the bar cellar or in the storage room behind the kitchen.
I’ve had endless stand up rows with Martin. He seems intent in making my life a misery. It all came to a head two days ago when he finally kicked me out.
I’ve blagged some space on Ronnie the concierge’s floor for a week, but his missus is far from happy. I can think of a hundred people that either owe me a favour or I could strong arm but, if Dupree’s goons are out there, they might get the wrong impression and think I was going back into business.
I’ll have to work out alternative accommodation soon.
Chapter 45
Friday June the 27 th 2008
Sometimes you just need to wait and a good thing comes along. Ronnie’s missus threw me out — I was two days past our agreed time and she caught me raiding the fridge for a can of lager. I had just put in an eighteen hour shift and felt entitled. She didn’t see my end of the argument and my bag and coat left the third floor window of the flat. I had to sprint down the stairs before my stuff became road kill.
I wandered up to the hostel but they blanked me. I had a job and they knew it. I grabbed a bus to Martin’s and was surprised that he let me in.
I had to pay up front rent but it’s a quarter what I would pay outside. I’ve to leave his booze alone and keep the house pristine. I would also have agreed to blow off his dad if he had asked.
Martin is running hot and cold and I can’t figure him from Adam at the moment.
The countdown to the trip is on but I need to get my head in gear. I need to plan my time in Mallorca. I have one week on the island and then I’m home.
I also need to call Charlie Wiggs.
Gordon Brown
59 Minutes
Wednesday July the 2 ^nd 2008
Charlie has arranged for me to meet his friend in Mallorca. I get the impression that the friend is a bit on the shady side and this is good news. I may need some help and an honest, upright citizen could be a dead weight.
I have the addresses of the two relevant Mallorca Security shops and my hotel is only a few streets from the shop in Inca. I’ve bought a map of the island and street maps for Inca and Palma. I’ve also entered the world of mobile communication with a ‘Pay As you Go’.
My tool kit will need to be split up and put in my hold luggage. Anyone knowing what to look for could put two and two together, but I’m counting on the hold bag getting through with no checks. It’s a risk I need to take. Breaking and entering is definitely on the cards and I’ve no guarantee I could put together a tool kit in the week that I’m in Spain.
I’ll give notice that I am quitting the job next week. Hopefully they will let me work four weeks and then it’s off to Espanya.
Chapter 46
Tuesday July the 15 th 2008
Something strange happened last night.
Earlier in the day I had bought a cheap, but sturdy suitcase from TJ Hughes in town and picked up a few travel essentials along with some additional clothing. I packed the clothes with the tool kit and toiletries into the new case to make sure it all fitted. I needn’t have worried — I could have fitted it in twice over.
I dropped it on the floor, set up a new code on the lock and pushed it under the bed. I’ll get by on the stuff I have left and I want to make sure that I can move quickly should the goons show up. I have no reason to think they will, but the closer to the flight date I get, the more I fear that something will stop me.
I went to work and came back around eight. I grabbed a glass of milk on the way up to my room and met Martin on the stairs. He looked slightly flushed and embarrassed. I asked what was up but he just shook his head, muttered something about paying your debts and squeezed past me.
I was up to date on the rent but I knew I was still a grand in the hole with him for other stuff and my promise to pay it all back within the month had been well off the mark. I entered my room, put the glass on the bedside table and slumped on the bed.
I lay for five minutes before sitting up and swinging my feet over the other side of the bed and reaching for the milk. My feet clipped the suitcase and I leaned over to push it back in. I froze.
The case had been well and truly pushed under the bed when I left. There was no doubt.
I reached down, pulled it out, placed it on the bed and checked the lock. The tell tale scratches from a knife or something sharp were scattered around the lock mechanism. I was too long in the tooth not to know when someone had been at a lock and the only person it could have been was Martin.
I dialled up the code, popped the lid and looked inside. Things looked much like I had left them. I took everything out and laid it on the bed but nothing seemed amiss. I double checked and then re-packed.