Read Hell To Pay for Free Online

meals a day and no bills."
    No matter the circumstances, Shug has always been able to make me laugh. Maybe that’s why I’ve never give up on him; he was still my cheeky wee brother, whatever he'd done.
    I lean over the table, not close enough to worry the guards on the look out for contraband - any suggestion something’s been passed on meant a full strip and cavity search for the prisoner - so I can speak to him and not be overheard.
    “You know why I’m here.”
    "Aye, to see your favorite brother. Did you leave some money for me at the desk?"
    "Aye. Forty pounds. They tell me that’s the most I can pay in."
    A wink. “Thanks. Much appreciated.”
    It’s my turn to plant my hands down on the table, bracing myself for what I’ve got to say. More practical that way. 
    "Shug, do you know who killed Mum and Dad? Is it anything to do with something you’re involved in?"
    My eyes are trained on him, waiting for a reaction. A blink, a flicker, sideways glance. Any suggestion he’s being less than honest. The truth is I stopped believing most of the things Shug said a long time ago. About the time the police turned up at my door looking for a necklace he’d given me as a present; it wasn’t the first time he’d tried to pass off stolen property as a gift. If Shug got you anything, you could guarantee it was stolen. 
    He leans over the table and lowers his voice. "No. I wish I did because then I’d get those fuckers. I’ve got a lot of pals in here. Ones that owe me a favor…"
    I don’t have time for this, so I cut in, "So, you’re telling me you don’t know who’s behind this?"
    "Nope."
    He sounds adamant, but then Shug could be out in the rain, splashing through the puddles and still swear it wasn’t raining.
    "Shug, nobody kills decent folk like Mum and Dad in that way for no bloody reason. It’s has to be connected to you." I pause remembering the bullets in their heads. "The police say they were shot gangland style. Almost as though they were executed, DI Waddell said. They’re trying to say it was a burglary gone wrong, but I’m not buying it."
    I’m aware of the fact that I’ve raised my voice; that I’m getting hysterical and I know I need to rein it in. One of the guards is staring over at us. He could end this visit at any time.
    My features relax and my tone’s conciliatory. He won’t tell me if he realizes how angry I’m with him. "You can tell me, you know. I won’t be angry. I need to know."
    Not so much as a flicker from Shug. Any pretence of being calm disappears as my throat tightens. I’d put all my hopes on Shug knowing something. If he doesn’t I’m back to square one.
    "Sis,” he says, eyes fixed on mine, “If I knew anything, I’d tell you."
    Shug isn’t a professional thief (he gets caught far too often), but he’s a professional liar and I know he’s lying because his lips are moving.
    "You know, Shug, I can’t believe that you'd lie to me. After what happened, you owe me an explanation. This has to be linked to you; it’s got to be. Why else would this have happened?"
    My heartfelt plea falls on deaf ears. I cut the visit short with Shug’s denials ringing in my ears and the sickening knowledge that yet again my own brother is lying to me.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

Chapter 9 
    As he watched his sister go, Shug Kerr felt the first stirring of what he remembered was guilt. He hadn't felt this way in so long he almost didn't recognize it, but there it was like a tiny piece of pie pastry being peeled away, exposing the chunks of meat hidden underneath. He knew he was to blame for all of it, but he couldn’t admit that to Nancy because that would put her in danger. If they came for her again, this time they wouldn’t botch the job. 
    When he got back to his cell, he jumped as a shadow appeared inside the doorway. He’d been expecting this. McNab wasn’t the kind of man you messed with without payback; even when you hadn't set out to mess