spanked when we go back to campus?’ James grinned.
‘That’s how it looks,’ Kyle said. ‘Probably a few weeks scrubbing floors, followed by a few months suspended from missions.’
23. LUCK
Sunday morning, James was in the living-room on his Playstation. Ewart came in and pushed his feet off the coffee table.
‘You just gonna sit around doing nothing all day?’ he asked.
‘That was plan A,’ James grinned. He’d missed a lot of sleep over the last couple of weeks. It was nice to bum around indoors for a change.
‘What about deliveries?’ Ewart asked.
‘Kelvin called me,’ James said, reluctantly pausing his game. ‘The nice lady who calls me with my deliveries has been busted. Not that it matters, because there aren’t any customers. Everyone’s heard about the arrests and they’re scared that if they ring up for a drug delivery, they’ll have PC Plod turning up on their doorstep rather than the likes of me.’
‘Does Kelvin think KMG is ruined?’
‘He says it’ll take at least a month to get new supplies of coke and set up distribution. Even then, customers will be wary. Other gangs will move in and snatch a lot of the business, but Kelvin thinks KMG has the clout to get back on top of things, provided Keith Moore doesn’t get nicked.’
‘What about Junior and April? Have you heard from them?’
‘I’ve spoken to both of them. I got invited to lunch, but I can’t be arsed.’
Ewart sounded slightly annoyed. ‘Why aren’t you going?’
‘What’s the point?’ James shrugged. ‘The mission’s as good as over. We’ll all be back at campus in a week or two.’
‘James, the mission carries on either until Keith Moore is caught, or we officially get told to come home. You’re our closest link to the Moore kids now Nicole is gone. I’d be interested to know what Keith is up to at the moment.’
James reached forward and switched off the Playstation, looking thoroughly put-out.
‘Fine,’ he huffed. ‘I’ll call Junior and re-invite myself.’
*
Ewart left James at the Moore house, then drove on a few hundred metres to drop Kerry at Dinesh’s.
James thought there might be a bad atmosphere, but when Keith opened the door he was in swimming shorts with a big grin on his face. The house was huge and even though they had a cleaner, you could tell four kids lived there the second you walked through the door. There were trainers and cushions chucked everywhere, dirty cups and plates. James thought it was cool. He hated it when you go round some kid’s house and the mother goes hysterical when you put your cup down in the wrong place.
‘Come in,’ Keith said, dripping over the floor tiles. ‘April and Junior are swimming.’
‘I never realised you’d be in the pool.’
‘Don’t worry. Go up to Junior’s room. He’s got about ten pairs of swimming shorts in his middle drawer.’
‘Cheers,’ James said.
Junior had a massive room with a big screen TV and video, a wardrobe full of decent clothes and a gumball machine. It wasn’t a bad spread for a kid who claimed to be hard done by.
James stripped off and came down in a pair of orange shorts with seahorses on. The indoor pool was about fifteen metres long, with palms and flowerbeds along one side. Ringo and Keith were swimming laps. April and Junior were at the far end in a whirlpool tub. James stepped into the steaming water, gave April a kiss and sat beside her. She looked fit in her swimming costume.
Once he was in the tub, James was glad Ewart had made him get out of the house. The warm jets of water made him feel relaxed and having April cuddled up close was a bonus. He took his hand off her back when Keith wandered up.
‘I’m ordering takeaway,’ Keith said, raising his voice above the bubbling water. ‘What do you guys want?’
‘Indian,’ April said.
‘Pizza,’ Junior said.
Keith looked at James. ‘Deadlock. The guest gets the casting vote.’
James didn’t like Indian much, but April had a cute grin on her face and she started sliding her toes up his leg.
‘Indian,’ he said.
‘Traitor,’ Junior said, slicing his hand through the water and giving James a soaking.
James, Junior and April had a splashing battle, then towelled off and put on robes before the food arrived. Ringo and Keith sat on the sofa while James, April and Junior arranged themselves on cushions around the coffee table with all the boxes of food on it.
Keith found the remote between two sofa cushions and switched the TV hanging on the