George and Spider Part Twelve - The Momentum Continues

The two men exited the flat and began their journey to the pub. Maxene left the washing up for George when he returned and settled herself on the sofa with a pile of magazines and Crystal curled up tight into the curve of her lap. She trusted George implicitly. Although thoroughly aware of his criminal activities with Spider, she never questioned them and she didn't for a moment entertain the notion that they may get caught and sentenced; in her mind this was an impossibility, like death.

Cold raindrops were falling steadily now so the two men decided to catch an imminent bus. It turned up on time and crowded with young people, excited and rowdy, high on the fumes of their grooming products. The Comet's Tail was not a place where fashionable young people hung out, instead they went to The Poke, a trendy establishment with pumped bouncers, pumping music and the sort of ultra-violet lighting which exposes dandruff on the shoulders of its patrons. George and Spider were the only people to alight at the lonely bus-stop by their favourite pub. As the bus pulled away some of the passengers banged on the upstairs window and shouted something incomprehensible, it didn't sound complimentary. They rushed through the raindrops and into The Comet's Tail like rabbits heading for safety of their burrow.

The place had its regular stench and the usual hard, stubbled faces lingering at the bar and gathering around the darts-board. Spider walked to the back of the room to their favourite little round table. George waited for Kelly to come and serve him.

'You alright there George Jules? she said, slightly teasingly, as if she knew something he didn't, and it was giving her a sort of faint power.

George shrugged and widened his eyes in annoyance. 'Yeah, fine,' he said, 'thirsty, since you ask.'

Kelly began to pull a pint and a half of bitter, their usual order, watching George all the time and licking her lips, she said,'I saw your old man in town the other week.'

'Oh that's nice for you,' George said, shrugging more aggressively this time.

'He's a fine looking man, Mr Jules senior - for his age I mean.'

George frowned hard, not sure whether to agree to such a comment. 'Mmmmmm,' he managed.

'He seemed quite erm, depressed, troubled, if you don't mind me saying. You and your brothers causing him bother are you?'

'No, he's causing us bother, always does.'

Kelly didn't respond to this, she took his money and turned her back on him to burrow in the till for change, then after a pause she said quietly, 'I've got some leads for you if you're interested.' She spun around and stared into George's eyes.

'We're er, fully booked at the moment,' said George, sipping the top off his pint.

'I bet you're not! Kelly leaned across the bar, spreading her legs to lower herself to the same height as him, she whispered, 'A friend of mine is a nurse at the hospital, she's got lists.'

'Lists?'

'Yes! Names and addresses, of people booked in for operations George, the dates, the times, empty houses guaranteed. She only wants a small cut.'

George narrowed his eyes, tilted his head thoughtfully and said, 'NHS or Bupa?'

Kelly looked confused and stepped back. 'I dunno!' she said, 'National Health I think!'

'No thanks, you're alright, keep it.'

George sloped away to join Spider at the table. He was very reluctant to entertain the reality of his father's widely spaced but thoroughly debauched encounters with Kelly Gas. Even when faced with a degree of evidence, his usual suspicious mind simply wouldn't take him there.

'What did she want?' said Spider.

'Oh- she had some leads, petty stuff, nothing we'd be interested in, not nowadays anyway.'

'What do mean by that George?'

'You know, we've upped our game haven't we. Big one's coming up.'

'Can't we do SOMETHING, this weekend, just something small. I'm chomping at the bit George, I need to get out there! And I'm not sure I like the idea of putting all our eggs in one bucket.'

'One bucket? Basket mate.'

'T's what I said.'

'Whatever.' George removed his little notebook from his pocket, opened it up and said, 'Look I've made this.'

Spider leant forward and peered at the neat little drawings and maps. 'You've been busy,' he said.

'Yeah. We're not going to mess this up mate. I've been plotting, plotting what we're going to do and how we're going to do it. The thing can't be rushed, it needs a degree of momentum.'

'Momentum?'

'Yes Spider, momentum. The house is not like the new houses on the private estates, it's different, the owners aren't wealthy.'

'Are they not?'

'No mate. They're plain minted - mysterious folk. I've been watching them, sussing them out, well trying to. I haven't seen the Mr but the Mrs is home a lot, she wears gym stuff, she's always on her own. You might have to go in while she's there.'

Spider rubbed his small white hands together and said, 'Good, when can we do it then? Can't we go tonight?'

George shook his head. 'No, no way. We need more momentum. We can't screw this up.'

'Course we're not gonna screw it up George.'

'I reckon they've got a complex alarm system, they've got a dog too. It's all in the notebook. I'll sort the dog. There's a dentist next door. You said you had a toothache.'

'I have - on and off. But what's that got to do with-'

George lifted his hands and joined them together by locking his fingers like a cat's cradle. 'The cellars are inter-connected,' he said, 'well, they could be. Fran's been reading this book, local history.'

Spider held his hand up to his jaw. 'It's been a bit better lately George. Maureen got me some Sensodyne.'

'Teeth can't just get better, not on their own, they can only get worse. I could make you an appointment.'

'I doubt they'll do the appointment in the cellar!'

'No! But you could sneak down there, you could hide in the surgery after your appointment - there must be a way.'

Spider frowned hard. 'A dentist appointment,' he said weakly.

'It'll be fine. And if you can't get down the cellar, or if there's no access, we'll resort to plan B, the chimneys.'

'Chimneys?' Spider sighed, 'Okay - okay George, I'll try the dentists.'

George nodded. 'Great!' he said, 'I'll make an appointment. He pointed to the notebook, showing Spider a detailed drawing of the doily house. He glanced around the room. Most of the other punters had gathered around the dart-board, cheering and shouting at two ladies who were having a competition. 'Look, this is the side access to the property,' George said, tapping the page. 'You might need to get out a different way.'

'Where can I loiter George? I need a place to loiter.'

'The garden behind the dentist is all over-grown, there's shrubbery and this tree here between the properties-'

'Robbing the dentist are you?' said Kelly, rather loudly.

'Sshshs!' said George, looking around.

'Oh I know that house! It's on Norton Avenue, it sold for over a million year before last. Did you draw that George?'

George leant forward, covering the note-book with his arms and said, 'Yes - I like to draw houses sometimes, in my spare time, especially Gothic properties.'

'Oooooh, listen to George! Kelly mocked. 'You could sell a picture like that. You're so talented George, just like your father. My Calvin is good at drawing, he's a genius, have I told you that?'

'Yes,' said George.

'Well, it's official now, diagnosed, he's a real, diagnosed genius. The school called me in about it. He's doing the junior chess tournament next week, he's going to win you know, two hundred pounds prize money. It's taking place at the new Ticking Clock. Have you two been there yet?'

'Yes, we went recently,' said Spider.

George screwed up his face. 'Can we help you Kelly?' he said.

She thought for a moment, tapping her long fingernails on her bottom lip and said, Do you know, I think my Uncle Noel did a patio at that house, yeah, back in the spring. He put a pond in for them, and a fountain and all that - and he did the driveway. The guy was a right tight bastard, wouldn't pay until he was, you know, threatened with something. He was rolling in it, made all his money in zips, that's it, made all his money in zips.'

'Zips?' said George.

'Yeah- zips.' Kelly demonstrated by lowering the zip on the side of her trousers, revealing blue lace pants, then pulling it up again. 'Clancy went round there on his JCB, said he'd break everything up and take it back unless the guy came up with the cash.' Suddenly she changed her expression, flashing her eyes at George, she said, 'Oh, hang on, you're not planning anything there are you?'

George glanced at Spider and said, 'No! Spider's going to the dentist, he's got toothache. Anyway what's it got to do with you?'

Kelly threw back her head and began to laugh. 'Nothing. You wouldn't be would you, it's way out of your league.'

'What the hell do you mean by that?' said George defensively.

'I MEAN George, that you're not professionals are you! You're hobby criminals you two, bit crims.'

George screwed up his face, panted a little and said, 'Bit crims?'

'Yeah, you do a bit here and a bit there, but you're scared of the view from inside.' She laughed again.

George developed little pits in his forehead, the viper inside him wanted to get out and strike her down with its fangs. 'Do we owe you money?' he said, shouting slightly and causing a couple of the punters to turn around.

Kelly shook her reddish blond curls. 'Arthur sorted it,' she said cockily, flicking her hair off her shoulders.

'My dad? George shook his head very quickly and said, 'When was HE in here?'

'He wasn't. I saw him in town, remember?'

'Oh yeah - good. Off you trot then!'

Kelly licked her lips and then twisted them into a sort of sidewards pout and began to walk away, but she stopped suddenly, turned back and said in a low voice, 'I've got some stuff behind the bar, if you're interested.'

'What?' said Spider, sitting up now and rubbing his hands. 'Have you got any Humbrol paints?'

George shook his head in dismay.

'No. I've got watches, trainers, games, a couple of laptops, a moped, some BMW parts; fly wheel, some carburetters-'

'We don't drive,' said Spider.

'That's a big old space you've got behind that bar. It's hard luck we're going straight at the moment, and YOU'VE got punters waiting Kel!'

Kelly blew a raspberry with her pearly lips. 'Going straight! she cackled, throwing back her head as she trotted back to the bar.

George exhaled deeply and said, 'Nosey fucking cow!'

'Does she know your dad then?'

'No,' said George flatly, 'not from the waist up anyway.'

Spider looked confused. 'Open the book again,' he said, 'I want to see the rest of your drawings George.'

George ripped out a couple of pages. 'You take these with you,' he said, 'clearly it's not safe to talk here. I'm giving you the auction leaflet aswell. I reckon there'll be a whole collection of cigarette boxes at that house and we must get the right one Spider. Study the box until you know it back to front. This is a bigger task than I originally thought. There's risk involved, all kinds of risk. Do you understand?'

'Calm down George, nothing's changed.'

'I'm calm.'

'She's wound you up hasn't she? Kelly Gas has got to you.'

'She a - a fucking irritation, got her fingers in too many pies she has.'

'She'll do anything for money. Shave an egg she would.'

'Shave an egg?'

'T's what I said. Maureen says it. I don't know what it means but I know who it applies to.'

George folded his arms and sighed. The two of them sat in silence for a while, shrouded in a cloud of smoke, staring , drinking and listening to the ebb and flow of the darts game over the other side of the pub; people cheering, arguing and sighing, all in dispersed with short silences. The mood was one of calm. Spider's blood pressure was particularly low. He didn't know it because he never saw a doctor but low blood pressure was a feature of his physiology and when he was particularly relaxed it fell almost dangerously low. He often felt light headed, as if he were floating on the surface of life, like a sort of water boatman on the meniscus of a pond, elevated from the pond life beneath. He enjoyed this sensation very much.

Later, sometime near last orders, the atmosphere suddenly changed. Spider, who was facing the entrance, put his head down very abruptly and began to fidget violently in his seat. His blood pressure rose instantly to that of a normal person and his beady eyes darted in different directions as if he were trying to avoid looking at something. George was quick to notice.

'What? What is it mate?' he whispered.

'Noth nothing, it's nothing,' said Spider, lowering his body now and trying to hide his form behind the small frame of George who was seated opposite.

'Is it your mom?'

Spider put his head down and whispered. 'No! It's bloody HIM. Spooner, Spooner major at the bar.'

'Spooner major? George said, looking concerned. Somehow he knew it must be Keenan but he didn't want to say the name. He felt guilty about not having told Spider about their horrid encounter at the canal. 'Who is it? Is it Clancy? Croft? Selwyn, is it Selwyn?'

Selwyn Spooner was Keenan's brother, Croft was their father and Clancy's brother. George waited for a few seconds then slowly turned his head and saw Keen Spooner standing at the bar, chatting to Kelly and holding his horrible dog Stanley on the end of a length of rope. The two of them were laughing and chatting like old friends. Jamie Dog, the glass-washer was barking from the kitchen at the back of the bar, leaving Stanley very confused. The dog's ears were twisting this way and that, he lifted his nose and sniffed the air, perplexed by the realistic canine sounds but the complete absence of accompanying doggy scent.

'He must have got out early,' said Spider.

George nodded slowly and said, 'Yeah - he must have. Good behaviour, probably causing too much trouble inside. He's not the worst of them though is he?'

'He's one of the worst! To me he's the worst George!'

'Well they're all as rough as arse-holes, and twice as filthy. George slyly twisted his head to look at the dog. The barking was louder now and Kelly was shushing angrily. 'What the hell is that noise, coz it isn't Keen's dog?'

'Jamie Dog isn't it. He must be having a bad day. You know he walked past my window earlier today, poor bastard, throwing himself around and barking like a - like a cocker spaniel. I saw him - through the gap.'

'You know Spider, I wouldn't even have a gap if I lived on your estate. Christ! Listen to that! Maybe it's Spooner's presence that's upset him. He sounds out of control. Maybe they should take put HIM on a lead.'

'It's not his fault, his father was a -'

'A cocker spaniel?'

'No George! It's not funny this, nothing about this is funny. I want to get out of here - now.'

'Okay, okay, just sit still for a minute.'

Spider looked grave suddenly. 'But none of us are still George, we're all hurtling. I can feel it now. I feel dizzy George I need to get out.'

Keen was shouting now, getting excited as he relayed some story to Kelly, bigging himself up in the process.

'Okay mate, just hang on. I don't want us to rush and draw attention. Those two are related aren't they?'

Spider shrugged and said, 'It wouldn't surprise me if they were. Can't we just get out of here?'

George casually got up and they sloped quietly out of the door and out onto the pavement outside.

'I hate him, ' said Spider, lighting up a cigarette and breathing for the first time in four minutes.

'I know. I hate him too. I'd like to kill him - if there was a way to do it, and get away with it, I'd kill that bastard.'

'There ARE ways to do it - it just needs, what did you call it, momentum.'

'Momentum?' said George laughing now.

'T's what I said.'

'One day - I'm not ruling it out. I'd like to pickle him in a jar like that shark.'

'Damian Hurst?'

'That's it. I'd put it in Centenary Square, as a piece of art.'

'Eurgh! You wouldn't get planning permission for that George.'

'Yeah well, let's get this job over with first. Will you be alright getting home?'

Spider glanced through the glass window in the door of the pub and said, 'Yeah, but I'll take the garden route.'

'Remember to study those pictures yeah?'

'I'm hot for it George, my choke's out. Can't we go on the rob tonight?'

George's eyes lingered over his friend. 'No mate, no way. We have to stay clean, for now.'

'Cleanliness is next to holiness.'

'I'll make that appointment for you then.'

Spider exhaled. 'I need to think about that George. There might be an easier way.'

'It's worth a go. Cure your toothache and get the prize.'

'Kill two crows with one stone.'

'Just go mate - and take care.'

They parted company. Spider took the cat's route home. Under fences, over walls, across gardens. He was frightened of Keenan Spooner; seeing him at the bar somehow made the whole town feel dangerous and infected, like someone had released a poisonous gas into the night air.