Ruined By My Brother's Best Friend novel · Chapter 8 of 24

Chapter 8: Market Night

"Who sent you that?" I said.

"You tell me." Freddie's voice was very calm. "You seem to know everything these days."

The parade was waking up around us.

Kirsty's nan was unlocking the launderette. The key-cutter was putting his sign out. Two of our Sunday regulars were at the bakery window, reading the "closed" card like it might change its mind.

Everybody could hear.

I didn't lower my voice.

"His father sent it," I said. "The man who signs your wages. He had someone follow us across Deptford at midnight and photograph us on a doorstep."

"So you admit it."

"I'm twenty-one, Freddie. There's nothing to admit."

He stood up off the step.

He pointed at Lev, who was standing a little behind me with his hands at his sides, saying nothing, letting me do it.

"I told him. Under Mum's roof..."

"It wasn't Mum's roof. It was Kirsty's."

The key-cutter coughed and became very interested in his sign.

Freddie's face went red.

"You think this is funny?"

"No. I think it's my life." I took his phone out of his hand and turned the screen round to face him. "Look at it properly. Somebody stood across the road from Kirsty's flat in the dark and took this. For your boss."

He looked at it.

He didn't want to.

"You work for the man who took that," I said. "And tomorrow you're going to put your suit on and go and sit at his desk."

"I've got thirty-eight grand to pay off."

"And he's got a demolition order with our name on it."

Kirsty's nan had stopped pretending to unlock anything. She was just standing there with her keys, listening.

Freddie looked around at all of them.

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