Skate

‘But… what… who…?’

Billy laid a hand on his shoulder.

‘It’s pretty complicated and you don’t need to know the details, Mr Driver. If you would just come this way…’ He turned Joe gently and propelled him forward.

‘No. No no no.’ Joe wasn’t having any of it. He dug his heels in. ‘Just a minute. You kidnap me, you frighten me half to death, you lock me into this room for half an hour and then you trot out the good old “no hard feelings” line. I’m sorry but that won’t do. Where is this Mr Osborne character? I want a word with him.’

‘I wouldn’t do that, I really wouldn’t,’ said Billy. ‘Mr Osborne is a fearsome bloke and he don’t like it if you argue with ‘im.’

“Well, that might be the case with you, as you work for him. I don’t. I do not appreciate the way I’ve been treated and I’m not having anyone skate over my feelings like this.’ He set his feet apart and folded his arms across his chest. ‘I want an explanation of this situation or I’m going to the police.’

Billy sighed. ‘Oh come on Joe. Can I call you Joe? You’re just gonna make it so much worse.’

‘How can it be worse? I mean, really. How can it?’

Billy sighed again and shook his head. ‘We can do this the easy way or we can do it the other way. Makes no difference to me. I’ll just get Ronnie.’ He stepped out of the room and would have shut the door but Joe stuck his foot out and stopped it closing.

‘Might have been a bit hasty,’ he said. ‘But you can understand how fed up I am?’

‘That’s more like it. Come on - this way.’