Terror Kid (4 page)

‘Students love to demonstrate – they always have done – but what happens when they grow up?'

‘So what are you saying?' said Rico. ‘Don't you support them?'

‘Yeah, of course I support them, otherwise I wouldn't be here. I just wonder where it's leading, what it changes.'

‘So do I,' Rico said. ‘But it's better than doing nothing. Who are you, anyway, and how do you know my name?'

‘You just don't know who to trust nowadays.'

‘What does that mean?'

The man looked at Rico, and then he looked into the distance.

‘I support the students, but I came here to see you. Can we go somewhere to talk?'

‘I'm not going anywhere with you. I don't know you from Adam.'

‘You didn't know me, but you do now,' the man said, smiling. ‘My name's Speech.'

‘What kind of a name is that? And just knowing your name is not knowing you.'

‘Put it like this, everyone calls me Speech.'

Rico frowned. ‘How do you know my name, anyway?'

‘I make it my business to know stuff, and we have a friend in common. Don't worry, it's all cool.'

Rico was beginning to get angry.

‘Stop talking rubbish, man, and tell me about this friend and tell me what you want.'

Speech dropped his voice in an attempt to sound friendlier.

‘Come on, let's go for a walk.'

Rico's anger heightened.

‘What's wrong with you, guy? I told you, I'm not going anywhere with you, I don't know you, man.'

‘It's all cool,' said Speech. ‘Just give me a few minutes for a quick chat. I want to put some work your way.'

‘If you want to put work my way you come to the shop. I'm there every Saturday. If not, just leave your computer and the staff will make a note of what you want me to do.'

‘No, I can't do that. Come on. Let's walk. I'll explain why.'

Rico looked around as he thought about walking away. As he caught Speech's eye, Speech cracked a smile.

‘Trust me,' said Speech. ‘It's a job, a good job. If you don't want it, don't take it – but at least hear me out.'

‘OK. But that's all I'm doing. Hearing you out,' replied Rico nervously.

They began to move away from the demonstration, but Speech dictated the route, and as they walked Speech made small talk about the weather, the rising price of music downloads, and the lack of good music in the charts. Rico kept looking around trying to see if there was anyone else involved, others who might be watching and waiting, but he saw nothing that looked suspicious. After a bit more small talk, he didn't feel he was in any danger, but he couldn't think what Speech would want with him.

They came to a large road junction and went down a subway to pass underneath. At the centre of the subway system was a plot of grass with a water feature that wasn't working. Speech stopped. Rico stopped.

‘So, what's up?' asked Rico.

‘Like I said, I need you to do some work for me.'

‘Repairs depend on the price of parts, but if you want me to write a programme for you it's £100 a day, paid at the end of each day, in cash. For half days, £50 – anything over a half costs you full.'

Speech nodded approvingly. ‘You could be a businessman.'

‘I am a businessman,' said Rico.

‘Could you build a website for me?'

‘Of course I can.'

‘How long will it take you?'

‘It depends on how big you want it.'

‘Just an average-size website, but I want it custom built. Not one of these cheap off-the-shelf ones. I want good graphics, sharp photos, and it's got to be user-friendly.'

Rico thought for a while. He didn't get jobs like these often, but when he did they earned him good money, and he needed some extra money for his future business plans.

‘An average-size, custom-built website, made from scratch, with you providing all the photos and links, will take me about two weeks. That will cost you £1400.'

Rico thought it sounded expensive and Speech would start talking the price down. He waited for him to start bargaining, but he didn't.

‘Cool. I'll give you £2000.'

‘Are you listening to me, man? I said it would cost you £1400.'

‘I know,' said Speech. ‘But I want to pay you two grand.'

Rico was taken aback. ‘What the hell do you want to pay me two thousand for? I only asked for one thousand, four hundred. Are you crazy or what?'

‘I told you we had a friend in common.'

‘Yes. Who is it?'

‘Ana.'

‘Who? Ana that works in the shop?'

‘Yes, that Ana. You know what she does for a hobby?'

‘Yes, she designs and makes dresses.'

‘That's right. I'm a good friend of hers. She did a big favour for me once, and I want to repay her by getting this website built for her. But you have to keep it a secret. It's really important. This must be kept a secret until her birthday. Don't mention it to her. I want this to be the best birthday present she's ever had. Do you see what I'm trying to do?'

‘I see,' said Rico. ‘So that's why you can't come into the shop?'

‘That's right. And that's why I'm paying you extra. This has to be between me and you.'

Speech went into his inside jacket pocket and took out an envelope. He held it out as he spoke. ‘Here are two memory sticks with photos and text on them. I'm leaving it up to you to design it. You need to have a shop area so people can buy online; all the prices are there so you can build a checkout area and all that stuff. You'll see the name of her company – you need to use that and buy her a domain name.'

‘In that case I'll need a deposit,' said Rico.

‘There's also £2000 in this envelope. That's all your money, and more, up front.'

‘You don't need to do that,' Rico said.

‘I know I don't, but I want to. I want to leave you to it. I trust you, so I want you to use your initiative, do what you think is good.'

‘Shall I call you?' asked Rico.

‘No, I don't have a phone. I'll find you, don't worry about that, just go and do the job – but remember, not a word.'

He handed Rico the envelope. Rico could feel the memory sticks and the thickness of the banknotes. ‘I'll start straight away,' he said.

Speech said goodbye and walked away, leaving Rico still thinking about the unusual deal he had just done.

 

Rico got to work on the website straight away. He didn't tell anyone about his new job. He had built websites before, mainly for his friends' bands, but he had never built one this big, and he'd never done one for this much money. He was determined to make a good job of it. On one of the memory sticks he found all the text that was promoting the business, and on the other he found photos of dresses with descriptions and prices. He had been paid well, and because he had been given creative freedom he planned to try out as many of his new ideas as possible.

He still did a bit of work for people who needed small jobs done, but he used all the time he could to work on the website. After a week he had to go back to do his day in the computer shop, where he was very tempted to ask Ana questions. He wasn't tempted to actually tell her about the website – he really liked the idea of surprising her on her birthday – but he was tempted to ask her what her favourite colour was, to make that the dominant colour on her home page, or what her favourite type of music was, so he could incorporate some on the site, or if she had a business logo in mind, but he didn't, just in case she got suspicious. At the end of the day he left the shop and was making his way to the bus stop when Speech just appeared, walking alongside him. Rico was startled but tried not to show it and kept walking as if nothing had happened.

‘How's it going?' asked Speech.

‘It's all good,' replied Rico.

‘How's the website?'

‘Like I said, it's all good.'

‘That's what I like to hear.'

‘Do you want to see it? You can if you like,' said Rico.

‘No, I just wanted to see if there was anything you needed.'

‘I don't need anything. I'm almost there.'

Suddenly Speech stopped. Rico carried on talking.

‘There's a couple of things I'd like to know from Ana, but they're not that important, I can fix them later.'

‘So you haven't said anything to her then?' asked Speech.

Rico came back quickly. ‘Of course not. I said I wouldn't.'

‘She's a good woman,' said Speech. ‘She deserves the best. Don't you think so?'

‘Of course, that's why I'm going to make a wicked site for her,' said Rico. ‘Keep walking. I got a bus to catch. Work to do.'

‘No. This is as far as I go. So everything's all right then?'

‘Yes, everything's all right,' said Rico, now a little tired of the questions.

‘Great. I'll see you soon.'

Speech turned and walked away in the opposite direction.

On the bus Rico sat comfortably at the back on the top deck. His phone rang. It was his mother asking if he was on his way home. Rico told her that he would be back soon. He folded his arms, leaned against the window and began to doze. He was very tired, but he wasn't worried he would miss his stop: he had dozed many times on this route and because he knew the route so well he always woke up just before his stop. He started to think about Karima. He was upset with her behaviour in the riots, but he was missing her. He made up his mind that he would go to her house to find out where she was being held, and then visit her. Then he began to think about his sister, Lola. He was still able to hear the sound of the bus and the passengers around him, but he was relaxed enough to drift into a dreamlike state, recalling happy memories of his big sister playing with him in their garden or the local park. When she was small, Lola had liked to carve shapes into trees using sharp stones, so Rico had given her the nickname Woodpecker. He recalled the time she had spent teaching him how to ride his bicycle, and how when they were older Lola would tell him stories of how good overcomes evil.

Rico was very close to his sister, but his parents didn't talk to him about why she had left home so suddenly. He really missed her.

Rico jumped up just before the bus reached his stop. He ran down the stairs, off the bus, and didn't stop running until he reached his home, where his dinner was on the table. Rico wanted to take his plate and go up to his room, but his mother wasn't having it.

‘No,' she said. ‘We've hardly seen you lately, up there on your computers. They can wait. Sit down and eat.'

‘OK,' said Rico.

The atmosphere during the meal was upbeat and happy, with Lena doing most of the talking. She was always full of stories about characters that she encountered at the hospital. All was going well until Rico brought up the subject that was really on his mind.

‘Have you heard from Lola?'

There was an awkward silence at the table. Stefan spoke first.

‘If she'd got in contact with us, we would have told you, wouldn't we?'

Lena continued. ‘We were wondering if she'd been in contact with you.'

‘I told you before,' said Rico. ‘I haven't got her number.'

‘And nor have we,' said Lena. ‘She calls sometimes, but unless she contacts one of us, we can't contact her. It's as simple as that.'

‘Don't you want to talk to her?' asked Rico.

Lena dropped her knife and fork onto her plate in anger.

‘Of course we want to talk to her. She left us, we didn't kick her out. You still have this idea that we're the bad people, but she's the one who decided to go, and she's the one who's decided not to stay in contact. So don't blame us, Rico.'

‘I'm not blaming you,' said Rico softly.

‘Good,' said Lena.

‘OK. Enjoy your meal,' said Stefan.

Rico continued to eat, but he didn't enjoy his meal.