A Choice of Evils Read Online Free Page A

would come in handy again.
    A quick cup of coffee and I was on my way to Spymaster electronics. They had every conceivable listening device you could think of. They were in the business of only answering questions, not asking them. Perhaps that’s why business was so good. It wasn’t long before I arrived and explained what purposes I needed them for. Guarantees were guaranteed with more guarantees that the ones I had just bought were the very best.
    When I arrived home my green light was flashing a message. My recall button delivered an a.s.a.p. call from Dave the weasel. He was waiting to hear from me. I rang him back for a meeting at the Clipper pub in Rotherhithe Street. He always talked better when he was well lubricated with drink. This evening would be ok, he confirmed.
    By 7pm I was on my way. The rain had stopped. It was a chilly evening and a good shot of whisky would warm me up. The pub was no more than ten minutes from where I lived. They served a good meal there too, and it was important to get a meal into the weasel’s stomach before the drink took over him.Otherwise you may as well be talking to a brick wall.
    I arrived to find him sat at the bar. His unshaven rugged face did nothing to hide the red end of his alcoholic nose. It had the stamp of a hard scotch drinker. I was glad I was not that bad being partial to some amber nectar myself. At forty, he had no problem convincing anybody he was sixty. His taste for clothes was preserved by a 1960 bell bottom trousers and a tan leather coat that even the Salvation Army would find hard to sell. Yet one thing about Dave was he always wore a clean white shirt. He nodded in recognition as I entered. We pumped out a handshake. With priority in mind, I invited him to a meal as I ordered the drinks.
    A pretty auburn haired barmaid showed off her gold bracelets and finger rings as she took my money. The weasel looked at her with nostalgic affection. She returned him a well-practised smile and turned to show her assets from behind. A grin spread over the weasels face as she returned with the drinks. It was a good start to the evening as we waited for the steaks to arrive.
    ‘Cheers Jack,’ he grinned. ‘It must be a year since I saw you last. But I never forget a face.’
    ‘Likewise Dave’ I responded. ‘How’s the world been treating you?’
    ‘Same old shit, just a different day. And you?’
    ‘Different days with different shit but it’s the variety that counts’ I smiled.
    His face creased into a smile. ‘Good’ he continued. ‘Then at least you’re spoilt for a choice. It’s more than I can say.’
    We clinked glasses then he lit up his cigarette. I didn’t smoke and hated the smell of the dammed stuff but I suffered the fumes on pain of gain. ‘I have a proposition for you,’ I told him. ‘I need some info on a couple of guys. There’s £200 in it for you.’ The weasels face expressed his interest. ‘I’m interested. Keep talking,’ he asked me. So I did.
    I avoided telling him the reasons why and made haste to induce him with a £100 down payment. This quickly disappeared into his pocket. All he wanted were the names and addresses of Ahmed and Bruce. I knew I would be in receipt of those details after my meeting with Ahmed. My plan would be to meet up with Dave the morning after that had taken place. Then he could get the information I wanted. So it was no problem checking them out for me, he assured.
    With his fingers rubbing the £ notes in his trouser pocket, he told me what a nice fellow I was and that I should see him more often. The balance would be there on the day I told him. We drank to that as the waitress brought our meals to our table.
    Small talk and hard luck stories dominated our conversation. It seemed odd that we were both two disgraced members of society from different backgrounds talking like old friends. But I suppose in a way the rules were simple enough, he told me, the coppers job was to catch the thief and the