Rise and Fall by Casey Kelleher

of the little problems that arose, Reagan didn’t need this bullshit from Tyler right now. 
    “But I’m telling you the truth. Someone’s on to us. They’ve been out there all day, Reagan, honest.” Tyler’s eyes bulged like saucers, as he continued to insist that a posh car with blacked-out windows was watching them. “Maybe it’s the police? Maybe they're keeping tabs on the flat, before they make their move and try and bust us later,” Tyler suggested, getting frustrated with the lack of reaction he was receiving; he had assumed that warning the men would have earned him a pat on the back at least and had not been expecting this amount of grief. Getting Reagan to believe him was proving almost impossible and Tyler knew it was mainly his own fault. He knew that he always elaborated slightly with his stories; generally just because he wanted them to be more interesting, and it did feel good having people actually want to listen to him for a change. Who didn’t tell a few white lies? He knew that most people didn’t believe a word that came out of his mouth the majority of the time, but how could he make Reagan see that he wasn’t lying this time.
    “The police don’t generally stake out neighbourhoods like this one in swanky motors, Tyler, they’d stick out like a sore bloody thumb around here; even the pigs aren’t that stupid,” Reagan reasoned.
    “Look, I know you don’t believe me, but I’m telling the truth. When I went out this morning to do that drop down at Brockwell Park, it was sitting out there. It’s gone five o’clock now and it’s still there. It’s been out there all day. I swear on my life Reagan, I’m not lying.” Tyler paused for breath; he hoped Reagan would finally realise that he was telling the truth.
    “A car has been parked up outside all day? So what? Just in case you haven’t noticed, Tyler, this is a massive block of flats we’re in, and that road out there...” Reagan waited a second so that the sarcasm would be more obvious to Tyler, who let’s face it, he thought, really wasn’t acting like the sharpest tool in the box right now. “Wait for it...  is where people park their cars.” Reagan said the last sentence in a slow patronising voice to emphasise to Tyler how ridiculous he sounded. His patience was disappearing. 
    “So, some posh git has left his motor out on the street while he visits his bird or something; why does there always seem to have to be a drama with you?” Reagan added.
    Feeling totally frustrated, Tyler spoke up with even more determination to get Reagan to believe him: “I thought that too, Reagan, but I just got a weird feeling, like I was being watched, so when I came back just then, I rode my bike up real close to the motor and tried to get a good old look in the windows. You can’t see anything through that glass, though. But I could feel them eyeballing me, I’m telling ya, they were in there watching me, and if they're watching me, then they’re probably watching this flat too.” 
    Tyler was so persistent with his story, and seemed so certain that he was right, that Reagan started to feel the smallest inkling of doubt sneak in. What if the police were watching the flat? It wasn’t unheard of. But it would be stupid turning up in a motor that was going to sit there screaming out for attention like the one Tyler had described, surely the police would be more low-key. Jerell had a blinding motor that was worth a fortune, and he wouldn’t park it outside the flat. He kept it around the corner in a private garage that he had rented; only a mug would park a car like his out there in this estate, anything half-decent would end up with its windows smashed and its radio swiped, or even worse, it would be nicked by some little rude boy for a joyride, although they’d have to have a death wish if they even looked at Jerell’s motor.
    “And I’ll tell ya something else, Reagan, it’s a well posh motor, it must have cost a mint!