Joe Craig - Jimmy Coates - Killer

Cover Page

Title Page Jimmy Coates Killer Joe Craig

CHAPTER ONE – STRANGE TALENTS

CHAPTER TWO – GREEN STRIPE

CHAPTER THREE – BOY AND A BAG

CHAPTER FOUR – NEVER ALONE

CHAPTER FIVE – FACE OF A FOE

CHAPTER SIX – IN HIDING

CHAPTER SEVEN – RAID

CHAPTER EIGHT – NEVER SAFE

CHAPTER NINE – TIME TO FLY

CHAPTER TEN – DROWNING TWICE

CHAPTER ELEVEN – 38 PERCENT

CHAPTER TWELVE – A LESSON IN FOOTWEAR

CHAPTER THIRTEEN – MIND THE GRP

CHAPTER FOURTEEN – IZGARU

CHAPTER FIFTEEN – SAFFRON WALDEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN – BASHED UP BENTLEY

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN – BAD CITIZENS

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN – INTO THE DARK

CHAPTER NINETEEN – WELCOME BACK

CHAPTER TWENTY – FINAL OFFER

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE – EXILE

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Also by Joe Craig

Copyright

About the Publisher

JIMMY KNEW WHAT was coming, but he was too late to dodge out of the way. Georgie pounced on him and they both landed with a thump on the bed. She moved quickly, and easily locked her arm round Jimmy’s neck. Then she dug her knuckles into the top of his head, kneeling over him. Not again, Jimmy thought. All these years he had never been able to escape his sister’s hold.

“Looks like I’m still bigger than you!” Georgie jeered. It was true–Jimmy was waiting for a growth spurt. But he never gave in easily.

“I don’t care! Get out my room!” he roared.

“I need your computer.”

She released him and took a seat at Jimmy’s desk. Then she asked as casually as she could, “Is Westminster Bridge actually part of Westminster, or does it just go to Westminster?”

“Find a tramp at Westminster Bridge,” Jimmy suggested, a huge smile on his face. “He’d tell you. And he’d probably smell like you too; you could be really good friends.”

“That’s it–you’re done for.” She was at him again. This time she pinned him down even harder and pulled his hair. Even though he knew she was just messing around, it still hurt.

“Mum!” Jimmy cried.

“I’m not doing anything!” Georgie shouted in response.

Jimmy flapped his arms about and slapped his sister on the back a couple of times, but it didn’t do any good. Then they heard the familiar pounding on the wall from next door, followed by their father shouting up the stairs.

“Keep it down. You’re disturbing Mr Higgins.”

“I hate that old weirdo,” muttered Georgie. It was remarkable how a next-door neighbour who claimed to be nearly deaf could have such sensitive hearing.

Jimmy was still struggling. But then, without knowing why, he stopped moving for a split second. Suddenly, his arm scooped up underneath his sister’s body as fast as it would move. She lost her balance and had to release Jimmy’s head. But his arm kept going. Georgie flipped backwards into the air and landed on the bed with a splat, gawping straight up at the ceiling.

They were both stunned.

Jimmy stared at his hands. Then he laughed and straightened his hair.

Georgie was not impressed. “What was that?” she shouted, but before she could grab him, Jimmy had run out of the room and made it to the stairs. Halfway down, he started walking very sedately and caught his breath. In the living room, his parents were watching the news.

“What’s all the noise about?” his father shouted to no one in particular.

Jimmy bounced on to the sofa feeling very pleased with himself.

“Your sister needs peace and quiet to work on her history project,” his mother said sternly. Before Jimmy could think of the best way of answering, Georgie burst in.

“We were just messing around, but then he started fighting properly.”

“That’s a lie!” Jimmy was ready for action again, dying to have another go at what he’d managed upstairs, but a chocolate wrapper hit him on the side of his head. He spun round to see his father watching the television, grinning. Jimmy knew he’d never be able to return fire without his mother noticing, so he turned back to the television.

“Oh forget it. I’ll be in my room,” announced Georgie, flustered and red in the face.

She wasn’t really upset, was she, Jimmy wondered? Had he hurt her? He hadn’t meant to. It was just satisfying to beat her for once. Jimmy told himself that maybe later he’d apologise. He wouldn’t mind doing that–it might even be fun, apologising because he’d won for the first time.

Jimmy’s parents ignored Georgie flouncing upstairs. They were concentrating on the news. On the screen were pictures of Ares Hollingdale, the Prime Minister, walking around Downing Street, and then another man who looked a bit scruffier, but a lot younger. Jimmy wasn’t paying attention because he was so excited about getting the better of Georgie for once. Slowly, though, he started watching his parents. When this younger, scruffier man appeared on screen, they both shifted uneasily in their seats. Then Jimmy’s father looked straight at Jimmy and spoke quietly, but seriously, back to being a grown-up.

“You should pay attention to this–instead of the rubbish you always watch. Someone might form an opposition to the government again.”

He glared for a second at Jimmy’s mother, who replied, frowning: “Nobody knows what’s going to happen in this country.”

Jimmy considered this for a second, and thought to himself that nobody knows what’s going to happen in any country. It was a stupid thing to say – nobody could predict the future.

Just then, the doorbell rang. Jimmy’s father pushed himself up with a sigh.

“You expecting someone?” asked his wife.

He stood for a long time scratching his ear, then just said, “No,” and strode out to the front door.

Jimmy’s father manufactured bottle tops for loads of different soft drinks and beers. He often saw clients at home, but it always took a long time and sometimes went on late into the night. Sometimes Jimmy heard shouting when he was in bed.

“You don’t think…” started Jimmy’s mother, but her husband had already left the room. She looked at Jimmy. “Go upstairs and get ready for bed,” she said tenderly.

“What?” said Jimmy. “It’s really early. And I’ve decided to watch the news.” His mother didn’t answer. She turned off the television and they both started listening to what was going on at the front door.

“Oh, it’s you,” Jimmy’s father said, “I didn’t expect…”

“Can we come in, Ian?” It was a man’s voice, deep and flat.

“Erm, of course. We weren’t expecting you.” His father sounded nervous, and the other man cut him off.

“Thanks,” he said. There was a creaking of footsteps and then the living-room door was pushed open. The man who walked in was tall and broad, taller even than Jimmy’s father and obviously in much better shape. He was tanned and good-looking, but only smiling with one half of his mouth, a small smile that scanned the room and found Jimmy.

“Hello, young man. You must be James.” Before Jimmy could answer, his mother jumped up between them.

“Please,” she said, with her hand out to distract the man’s attention. “Sit down. Please sit down.”

The man looked at Jimmy’s mother and straightened his tie. It was a long black tie, thinner than the ones Jimmy’s father wore for work, and his suit was the same black. “Helen, how lovely to see you again,” he said, and sat where Jimmy’s father had been sitting.