Spoil the Kill

Chapter 3: Malicious Gossip

Kim Jordan works on Saturdays, in one of those big sports stores in a retail park, where most of the staff are still in secondary school and work for minimum wage. The type of shop that deals more in fashion than sport, where they know everything about this season's trainers – except which ones are the best for running. FX has set up a conference line on our phones, so we can all talk to each other at the same time using our earpieces. It's encrypted too, so no one can listen in.

I'm sitting on a bench outside the front of the warehouse-sized store when Kim walks out at the end of her shift. She takes her phone from her bag, and taps four numbers into the keypad before checking her text messages. I swear under my breath.

"She's just come out," I tell the others. "Bad news. She has a PIN on her phone."

"Bugger," Manikin's voice says into my ear. "Hardly anybody does that any more, unless they've actually got something to lose."

The PIN is a simple but very effective way of keeping the information on your phone secure if it gets robbed. Cracking this kind of encryption is an almighty pain in the rectum, even for a hacker like FX. Manikin was just going to pluck the phone from Kim's bag without her noticing, as they both came up to the bus stop. But all of a sudden, stealing it isn't such a good idea.

"You want to grab it while she's using it?" I ask.

"We don't do snatch jobs if we can avoid them," Manikin replies. "Especially in a place like this. Attracts too much attention, no streets to escape into and you're too likely to be caught on camera. What we really want is for her to call Jonny – or Joey – that'll give FX what he needs."

Kim is making her way across the huge car park toward the bus stop. FX is sitting on another bench not far away, but out of my sight. I know he's got Kim's mobile number – she gave it to somebody on her MyFace page. It's also how we found out where she works, what days and what time she finishes. With her phone number, FX can use his console to patch into the signal and listen in to everything.

Manikin is standing at the bus stop as Kim approaches. She glances over at Kim, then looks again, harder, her face twisting into an expression of pure hostility. Mani's still got her phone on, so we can hear everything.

"Hey, you," she says. "You! You're that Jordan cow, ain't ya?"

"I'm sorry, what?" Kim replies.

"Kim Jordan, right?"

I'm making my way toward the bus stop now, but I'm still over fifty meters away. Kim is taking a step back, holding her bag defensively against her chest.

"Who ... who are you?" she stutters.

"Who am I?" Manikin snarls, causing everyone else at the bus stop to turn and look. "Acting the innocent now, are we? Who am I? You cheeky fat tart! For somebody who doesn't know me, you had plenty to say to Joey Bloody Rodin last week! Who am I? You've a bloody cheek! After what you said about me ... you ... you pig-faced hag! You know Joey's telling everyone what you said – all that ... about the poodle, and the pirate costume and the ... the ... that goddamned jacket potato."

There are tears in Mani's eyes now and real anguish on her face. Damn she's good. I'm struggling not to wet myself laughing as I come up to the glass wall of the bus stop. The jacket potato?

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Kim protested. "I haven't a clue who you are!"

"Yeah? Tell that to Joey Rodin!" Manikin gasps at her, tears streaming down her face. "You tell him that, before he blabs any more of your stories about me and that badminton racket!"

With that, she whips past Kim and strides off back toward the stores. I suppress the urge to either giggle or break into applause. Kim watches her go, a look of consternation on her face. Turning her back on the curious onlookers who are trying to appear as if this is none of their business, Kim steps away from the shelter, unlocks her phone, chooses a number from her contacts and hits the call button.

"Hi, Joey?" I hear her snap, before she walks out of earshot. "What in the name of God have you been sayin' ...?"

"Heeelllo, wabbit," FX says into my ear, in his best Elmer Fudd impression, and I know he's looking at the phone number on his screen, and listening to Joey defend himself against Kim's furious accusations. There's a smile in FX's voice as he adds: "Right now, she's threatening to cook his tongue with a hair straightener. Wow. With friends like that, no wonder he bites his nails."