Finny was given blankets and a pillow, also a bucket… just in case. She had to ask for some soap, and brushes for teeth and hair. As an afterthought, she also asked for a book to read. It took an hour or so but she got everything eventually. Reading helped. At first it helped her to escape, at least mentally, from the room she was annoyingly still locked up in. Soon though, it also helped by letting her work out how she was going to actually escape… not that much in the way of a plan had presented itself yet, but she was confident it would. In the end, teeth and hair taken care of and lip service paid to having a wash, Finny turned out the light and snuggled down under her blankets. This left her thoughts free to wander, and where they wandered to was ‘Just in case she didn’t make a daring escape, how was Joe going to find her? And then, what was Joe going to do when did?’ Just as Finny was starting her book, Joe was watching Kopkage reading through the contents of the folder. It wasn’t a very thick folder just an incident report from Joe’s upside down view of it so he waited patiently. He used his time to work out how he was going to handle Kopkage. The policeman’s boss, Inspector Crabbe, was no problem, Joe had been adding to the inspector’s retirement fund for years. Kopkage’s two colleagues were no problem either… but Kopkage? The problem with an honest copper is that they don’t obey the rules. You can’t bribe them, they’ll just nick you. And you can’t kill them, well, you can… but threatening to kill them just gives them a bleedin’ erection; talk about feeding an ego. Kopkage looked up from the folder with Joe still not having come to a decision. He sighed; he’d just have to wing it then. Kopkage tapped the report. “I take it you’re here because of this lad’s untimely demise.” “What lad’s that then, officer?” Kopkage checked the name on the report. “One Earnest Satsuma, aka ‘Booger’ age eighteen, last known residence – your orphanage until he turned eighteen, then we kind of lose track of him.” Joe pursed his lips and shook his head slowly. “It’s not MY orphanage.” Joe’s mouth supplied a grin his eyes didn’t validate. “I just help out with the bills and things.” “Course you do, Joe, ‘course you do.” Kop interlaced his fingers. “So, Booger Satsuma?” Joe shrugged. “I got word the lad had met with an accident… one of the fatal kind, so I thought your lot might be able to shed some light on it. You know, so I can let his mates know.” Kopkage’s head bowed to the report again. “Ah yes, young Booger’s known associates, let’s see.” Kopkage’s finger did the walking. “We have ‘Foul Arty’ – age seventeen, real name unknown, whereabouts unknown. Also one Robin Shaw, age eighteen, another ex-orphanage resident, whereabouts also unknown and finally…” Kopkage looked up with a smile on his face. “A certain Charlie Farley age fifteen, whereabouts unknown but someone I would certainly love to have sitting in that chair sometime soon.” Joe has a very good poker face, but it was a struggle this time to maintain it. Charlie was the leader of the four teenagers Joe paid to keep an eye on Finny. He was very good at his job and would likely go far in Joe’s gan… orga… business empire. But Charlie was scary as fuck, Just the way he looked at you was enough to… Joe’s thoughts on Charlie Farley’s likely demonic origins were interrupted by Kopkage. Joe snapped out of it. “Never heard of any of them.” This wasn’t getting him anywhere. Joe leaned across the table. “Look you and me can sit here and play silly games all night or we can do some mutual back-scratching and both go home happy.” Kopkage’s eyes narrowed. What was the bastard up to? Joe was a slippery one, decades in the game and dangerous as fuck. But… there was something; something in the little gangster’s demeanour. Kopkage turned his detective brain up a notch. “Where’s your duster Joe? Can’t normally prise that thing off your back.” He nodded to Joe’s current attire; starched shirt, expensive waistcoat, dress trousers and shiny shoes. Joe’s face set. Fuck. Fuck, fuck fucketty fuck! “Me and the missus were going out.” Fuck! Kopkage smiled. “Oh? And the death of this young man changed that? Now why would that be Joe?” Joe folded his arms. “That would be the reason I’m prepared to tell you something that might,” he pulled a face. “‘Aid in your enquiries.’” The expression on Joe’s face left no doubt that those words had tasted very bad in his mouth. He washed them out with something much more in keeping. “But I want something in return.” To say Kopkage was surprised would be the stereotypical understatement. Kop actually felt a tingle run down his spine. Now what could possibly be going on that made Joe Spivey prepared to help the NFPD? “What sort of 'something' are we talking about here Joe?” “I want anything and everything you get on that lad’s death; footwork, door to door, forensics, the lot.” “And in return?” Joe looked the policeman dead in the eye. “Finny’s been kidnapped… and Booger was the one supposed to be protecting her. There might be a war heading your way, officer… Are you lot ready for that?” Finny wasn’t the only nine-year-old with their own bodyguard. In The Borough, Bill Skye was on his way to the kitchen from the room that adjoined that of Patrin Gold, Moira Gold’s youngest son, after having handed over to the nightwatchman. Bill had been what was called a ‘known face’ in The Borough long before the Gold’s had turned up. He was a bruiser, a solidly built lump of muscle who could take hits and dish them out with dividends. A burglar by profession, Bill had thrown in his lot with the Golds when it became clear that Spivey had been well and truly dethroned by Moira. And, as soon as that happened, Bill wasn’t the only one to see which way the wind now blew; the Gold family now controlled most of the criminal element of the The Borough. And the Golds had made good use of his standing with the residents of The Borough, and rewarded him with the high-ranking position of right-hand man to Danior and Bodyguard to Patrin. Bill respected the brother of the clan matriarch, he was a fair man. And he had taken a shine to the little boy he was charged with keeping from harm. All in all, Bill was doing quite nicely thank you. Patrin had been scared of him at first, but Bill had that effect on people, especially the ones he thumped. But now, though, the kid’s perpetual good humour had rubbed off on his gnarly protector and they had become friends. But, it was the end of the day for Bill, shift over and kids can be bloody exhausting. As he sat down with a heartfelt sigh at the kitchen table to begin work on his supper, Bill was reminded of another kid… little red-haired runt of a girl he had done a job with last year… she had been obsessed with his dog for some reason. Bill stopped chewing to wipe away the river of gravy running down his chin. He wondered if she was still alive. The Finny Stories In chronological order: 000 Finny Intro 001 The Locket 002 Rats 003 A Christmas Finny 004 The Secret Adventurer’s Club 005 The Secret Adventurer’s Club: Second Adventure 006 Finny’s Birthday 007 Union Candy 008 Then There Were Three 009 Then There Were Four Again – Sort Of (WIP)