“Less talk and more walk.”
“What have you got planned today?” Prin asked.
Scott groaned. “First things first I need to persuade Barry to give me the CCTV as it stands at the moment.”
The streets of Brighton were almost deserted. Only the odd van making a delivery to a café. Of course, the ever-present soundtrack of gulls screeching was all around them.
Scott pinched Prin’s bum, making him leap.
“Hey,” Prin said.
“Chill out, I couldn’t resist,” Scott said, doing it again.
Prin laughed and grabbed his hand.
“Be very careful. When I was a kid, my uncle sent me to learn Muay Thai. It was supposed to toughen me up.”
Judging by the strength of his grip, it had worked.
“I surrender,” Scott said, laughing.
All the shops were closed, but even so a gorgeous pair of oversized khaki pants caught his eye. He might have to call into town on his way home. That was if the fatigue from the night before hadn’t caught up with him.
“What do you need the CCTV footage from Barry for?” Prin asked. “I gave you the file.”
“Because I want to show the comparison,” Scott explained. “I’m leaving no stone unturned.”
“So I can see,” Prin replied. “I can see I’m going to have to keep an eye on you. Such a devious mind.”
Swiftly, Prin pinched Scott’s bum.
They carried on the way to work. Scott was dangerously close to having a spring in his step.
“It’s definitely him,” Carla said.
“Told you.”
They were both studying Scott’s laptop. He’d finally got his evidence together. Once Barry had handed over the doctored version of the CCTV, Scott had managed to splice them together to show the changes. He was quite proud of himself. All those TikTok and Insta videos were paying off.
Carla rubbed her forehead. “I was half hoping you were wrong. Fuck.”
“Sorry.”
“Not your fault, love,” Carla said. “Hey, you’ve done a first-class job. You should be proud of yourself.”
Scott blushed. “Thank you. What are you going to do?”
“I’ve no idea,” she replied. “Richard will turn it into a shitstorm. That is for sure. Can you email me the files?”
“Already done.”
She grinned at him. “You’re after my job, you little sod.”
Scott cackled. “Not in the least. I like being your bitch too much.”
“We do make a good team.”
“Plus, it’s handy leaving you to handle this. Sorry but not sorry.”
