Chapter 22

As

Curtis walked up the street where With A Kickwas located, all he was

thinking about was his stomach: a sandwich, maybe some soup, and a large ice

cream. If he hadn’t been daydreaming he’d have seen the man who approached from

behind, wouldn’t he? At the very least, he’d have felt his arrival with the

shudder of disgust it deserved. He’d paused outside With A Kick’s window

to look at the ‘Today’s Special’ on one of Phiz and Lee’s brightly designed

posters, when a hand landed lightly on his arm. It stopped Curtis in his

tracks, not only because it startled him. He recognised the waft of cologne

worn by the hand’s owner, and the deceptiveness of the touch. Sure enough,

seconds later, the fingers curled into Curtis’ flesh far more cruelly, holding

him there.

“You

look good,” Nick said.

There’d

been a time when Curtis was thrilled by a compliment from Nick Hutchens. The

man was a few years older, much better looking and well-dressed, and with a smooth