The Dirty South by Alex Wheatle Page B

deal so we could get out of this crazy place and away from these crazy people.
    â€˜Yeah, Nasser,’ Noel began. ‘We’re looking to do a bit of business.’
    â€˜I don’t usually do business at this time of night,’ replied Dryneck. ‘And especially if I am entertaining.’
    At this point the chick kissed Dryneck on the cheek and ran her fingers over his bald head… I swear I heard a happy sigh. My erection was still tenting my jeans. ‘But I know you are in need,’ Dryneck continued. ‘I have heard of the misfortune that has befallen Red Eyes and during the course of the last day and a half many people in our business have made enquiries to find out if I will take up the slack.’
    â€˜So what you saying?’ Noel asked. ‘You gonna deal with us?’
    â€˜I suppose your money is as good as everybody else’s,’ Dryneck nodded. ‘Gloria, can you go and get my merchandise and the scales please… How much are we talking about, gentlemen?’
    â€˜Four oz of skunk,’ answered Noel.
    â€˜I think I can accommodate you.’
    The chick got up and went to a room that led off the hallway. I tried hard not to look at her legs as she walked by. She was wearing Lisa Simpson slippers. I closed my eyes yet again. She returned a couple of minutes later with the scales and the skunk wrapped in kitchen foil and went to the coffee table, pushing aside cartoon video and DVD cases to make a space for herself. It was then when I spotted the lines of cocaine and a credit card all neatly placed upon a smaller, matching coffee table. Gloria worked quickly and neatly, soon balancing four oz of skunk on the scales.
    â€˜I’m forgetting myself,’ said Dryneck. ‘This is Gloria… Miss Gloria Grahame. Obviously it is not her real name but that is the name you will address her by. As you can see she is quite efficient. When you leave she will give a mobile number to you and for any future transactions that we might have I urge you to dial that number first. The number will change every month but you will be notified a day beforehand what the new number is. You will
not
come here again. Is that clear? You will be met by Gloria or myself in a designated meeting spot. Any orders over four ounces please give me two days’ notice. Is that clear?’
    â€˜Yeah, loud and clear,’ said Noel.
    Dryneck then looked at me for longer than what was comfortable. ‘I know your father,’ he said. ‘He had quite a rep when I was a kid. I haven’t seen him for many a year.’
    â€˜Yeah, er, a lot of people know my paps,’ I managed.
    As Dryneck turned his attention back to
Top Cat
, I fished for my wad of P’s inside my jeans and found that my erection was still rampant. Gloria got to her feet, made her way over to me and took the money. She counted it carefully, licking her right index finger and her thumb. When she finished counting she offered me a wink and by then my dick was hurting me. She then gave Noel her mobilenumber and walked us to the exit. ‘Don’t call during working hours,’ she said. ‘Call from seven to eleven in the evening.’
    Dryneck didn’t even say goodbye.
    When we got back to the car, I asked Noel, ‘Where did he get
her
from?’
    â€˜Gloria?’ Noel replied. ‘She works in some bank up in the city and she shots for Dryneck up those ends as well. When he’s entertaining, Dryneck likes her to look like those old-time movie stars. He‘s got a thing about blondes and cartoons. Did you notice?’

Chapter Nine
REVELATIONS
    R ed Eyes was buried six days later in Streatham cemetery. All five of his baby mothers were there, all wondering if he had left anything valuable behind. It was kinda freaky to see all those little versions of Red Eyes running around the place and getting cuss by all these different women. I wondered if any of the boys would be a shotta