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She put the painting down on the floor, and then opened the bag that hung by a long strap from her shoulder ‘I took a hundred pounds out of the cash point earlier this ive you that and in return—’

‘Fifty-fifty,’ he said firmly ‘You find a buyer and we split it fifty-fifty’

She stared at hi, which he had picked up and was holding on to protectively, as if afraid that she rab it and do a runner A smile broke suddenly across her face, and she clipped her handbag firot a deal’

‘And don’t even think of trying to cheat ly, ‘because if you do—’

‘Jackie boy!’ She spoke softly, her voice athat needed gentle, yet fir on the floor immediately opposite him ‘In my book,’ she murmured, ‘a deal is a deal’ Her face had drifted imperceptibly closer to his, and he was suddenly conscious of her perfu ‘So why don’t we shake on it … or so’

He said nothing, taken off his guard by the turn of events Her srin, and she ainst his cheek ‘What do you say, Jackie boy?’ she whispered into his ear

He grunted, still uncertain He ay out of his coot no further, because her forefinger was on his lips and her face was opposite his, and just inches away He flinched backwards and gulped

&nbs

p; She nodded towards the door beyond hi open ‘It looks like there’s an old bed in there, Jackie boy What do you say? Shall we take a look?’

Ten rasp and began to dress He lay stretched out across the bed, watching her through half-closed eyes ‘Hey, what’s the rush?’ he said reproachfully ‘Don’t go yet’

The wo as she buttoned up her blouse, and then bent down to pull her black ankle boots on Her bag was lying on the floor where she had dropped it, and from this she now retrieved her mobile phone

‘Hey!’ he said, his eyes now fully open, ‘you’re not ringing up your friends to brag are you?’ And he laughed But only very briefly And then the expression on his face changed ‘What the hell are you doing?’

What she was not doing washer raph – of hi out insurance, Jackie boy’

‘Insurance?’ he shouted, sitting up now ‘What the fuck do you mean?’

‘Insurance against you causing trouble, Jackie’ She clicked her , and then took out a purse ‘Because if you think I’ to settle for a fifty-fifty split, when you can do nothing on your own, then you’re a bigger fool than you look I’ve got the cards now, and this is the deal’ She had removed some notes from her purse ‘Five £20 notes Hot from the cash point That’s for you And whatever I make, I keep And if you so o round and pay your lovely wife a visit Got it?’

With that she turned, went out of the open door, and clipped briskly down the stairs Jack stared after her, his mouth open, until he heard the front door open and slam shut Then he shivered, swore, and reached down for his pants

‘’Bye, Mrs Russell!’ Lucy Tull called out cheerily But if Sarah Russell heard the farewell of the dentist’s receptionist, she gave no apparent sign of having done so Through the half-open door, Lucy watched Monday’s final patient begin to descend the stairs, and then pulled a face after her ‘Miserable cow!’ she said, not entirely silently

‘Is there a problem, Lucy?’ Lucy turned in eent question Her e in the other doorway, the one which led into the inner sanctuery, and her face was a picture of disapproval

‘No,’ she said hastily ‘No problem at all’

But there was no chance of her being let off easily ‘We are a people business,’ her employer continued, ‘and a key part of your job is to be nice and polite to all our customers, and to be totally professional at all ti that difficult to achieve, then despite your protestations I believe that we do indeed have a problem A very serious problem Do I make myself clear?’

‘Absolutely clear,’ Lucy replied