The North side of the Bridge.

“Hey. Are you coming or not?”

“No. I’ll give it a miss tonight. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“You sure?”

“Positive. Call me later. Let me know what I’m missing.”

“Okie dokie. If I don’t call you tonight, I’ll see you at work tomorrow.”

“OK. Have fun.”

“Always. Are you good for the fare?”

“Yep. I’m still a couple behind on that front.”

“It’s all good. I’ll jump out at the lights Mister taxi driver. It’ll save you turning around. My mate is carrying on to The Bridge.”

“No problem. Good timing. They’re red.”

“Good night Jeff.”

“Nite mate. See you tomorrow.”

“Which side of The Bridge are we going?”

“North please mate.”

“Consider it done.”

“Here you go. Keep the change.”

“Thanks.”

“What’s this? I think my mate dropped his work diary. I’ll give him a call. Good night.”

“Good night.”

“Hey Steve.”

“Jeff. Changed your mind? It’s going off in here.”

“No. Did you drop or leave your work diary in the cab by mistake?”

“Nope. I haven’t used that thing in weeks.”

“No probs. The cab has already gone. I’ll see if there’s a number or something in it when I get home.”

“Alright mate. See you tomorrow.”

“Cya.”

“Hey mum.”

“Hello darling. Just in time for dinner. No Steve?”

“He jumped out at The Goose again.”

“On a Tuesday? That boy is headed for trouble.”

“Come on mum. He’s not that bad. He’s got a late start tomorrow anyway.”

“Fair enough. Come on. Let’s eat this while it’s still hot for a change. What’s that?”

“I’m not sure. It was in the taxi. I grabbed it thinking it was Steve’s work diary but it isn’t.”

“Is there a name or a phone number in it?”

“I haven’t really looked. Here, you have a look.”

“Hmm. That’s strange.”

“What?”

“It’s full of random numbers and letters.”

“Show me. Hmm indeed. I see what you mean. Maybe I should call the cab company. Someone might call them to report it lost.”

“Let’s eat dinner first. It’s a bit late anyway. I’ll give them a call in the morning.”

“OK. This smells good?”

“Hey Kathy. Are you busy?”

“Is that some kind of a joke?”

“No. Can you come upstairs when you have a minute. Jeff found a little black book in a cab last night on his way back from work. It’s full of random numbers and letters.”

“I’ll be there in two minutes.”

“I had a funny feeling you’d say something like that.”

“Get the kettle on then. Have you called the cab company?”

“Nope. Only you.”

“This looks like a bookie’s or a loan shark’s black book. These letters are probably initials of the people that owe money. The numbers are probably the amounts.”

“And how would you know something like that?”

“Don’t ask darling. Don’t ask. If I’m right, and the big strong dangerous man that owns this book rings the cab company to find out if it’s been handed in….”

“Kathy, Stop! Lets just ring the cab company and do the right thing.”

“Why? We haven’t done anything wrong.”

“Yet.”

“Ring Jeff at work. Ask him where he got the cab, and where he got out.”

“Why?”

“Just to check if the cab driver knows what address he dropped Jeff off at last night.”

“He wouldn’t.”

“What do you mean?”

“He always gets out of cabs on the North side of the Bridge, then he walks over it and uses the under pass to come home. He does the same when he gets off of buses too.”

“Why?”

“Because his dad told him to.”

“Why? If you don’t mind me asking of course.”

“No. It’s fine. Tony and me met on the Bridge. The night he passed away, one of the last things he said to Jeff was ‘always use the Bridge whenever you can. It’s where I met your mum.”

“Oh Sara. That’s so beautiful. I’m so sorry this all came up. Let’s just ring the cab company and hand this book in.”

“Kathy. You started this. If the big strong man that owns this book was looking for it, I’m pretty sure we would have had a knock on the door by now.”

“What about the pick up? Did the taxi pick Jeff up from work?”

“Not last night. He went down to the Square with Steve for a quick drink straight after work. It would have been a random pick up.”

“Right. So it would seem that this little black book is ours for now.”

“So it would seem. What exactly do you think you can squeeze out of it?”

“I have absolutely no idea, but it’s a little black book Sara. Let’s have a cup of tea and see what we can decipher.”

“Your imagination is as wild as it is contagious. Come on then. Let’s pour and dissect this thing in the living room.”

“Anything?”

“I’m not sure. We have eight pages full of what seem to be just random numbers and letters. One page with just what appears to be random letters. Then this page here that only has three random letters. E, S, S, followed by these three numbers. 2, 3, and 4. And underneath those three numbers, we have another four numbers. 6, 6, 2, and 7.”

“What’s on the rest of the pages?”

“The next page and a half is the same as the first eight pages. Full of what seem to be just random numbers and letters. The rest of the book is empty.”

“A work in progress?”

“You could say that.”

“So Kathleen. You are the brains of this outfit.”

“And I’m the pretty one one.”

“You’ll be wearing that cup of tea if you’re not careful.”

“Sara!”

“What?”

“E,S,S. Does anything about those three letters jump out at you?”

“Hmm. East Side Station?”

“That’s exactly what I was thinking. Last year there was an uproar in town because of what?”

“Because you took your top off in The Goose?”

“You cheeky cow. Those were cheers. That was not an uproar.”

“Same thing isn’t it?”

“We are side tracking. Remember the screaming and shouting everyone did when the kid’s Arcade was turned into the safe deposit box section at East Side Station?”

“I do. Kathy! No! A safe deposit box and a combination?”

“I have absolutely no idea. I haven’t ever seen them. Have you?”

“I’ve walked past them a few times but never really taken much notice. Safety box number 234?”

“With a four digit combination of 6627 to open it?”

“It can’t be Kathy!”

“Why can’t it be Sara?”

“I don’t know. Are there that many safe deposit boxes in that small section?”

“I have no idea. Are the combinations to open them four digits?”

“How would I know? I thought you were the brains of this outfit?”

“I’m the brains, you’re the looks. Call Jeff at work to double check he walked over the Bridge last night.”

“Kathy. I can guarantee you that he walked over the Bridge.”

“Please check. Just in case.”

“OK. Pass me my phone.”

“Here.”

“It’s ringing. Hey darling. Did you walk over the Bridge last night?….Just wondering…..Nothing…..Do I?…..Kathy from downstairs is here…..Why did you ask that?…..Not much gets past you does it…...Just to make sure the cabbie didn’t drop you off outside…..Did you call the cab company?…...OK darling. See you later.”

“Did he know it had something to do with the book?”

“Yep. As soon as I said you were here his ears pricked up.”

“Is that all that pricked up?”

“Kathy. Stop it. He had a quick look at the book before he went to work this morning. He had a strange feeling about it.”

“What did he say?”

“Not much. He did walk over the Bridge last night, and he didn’t call the cab company this morning to tell them he found a little black book that belongs to a big strong man.”

“He might not be a big strong man. He could be short and skinny but have a machine gun.”

“Kathy. Stop it.”

“You know who we need to call?”

“Steve?”

“Yep. He’ll know what to do. He’ll be at work won’t he?”

“Jeff said he had a late start today. He went to The Goose last night. I’ll ring him. It’s ringing. Hi Steve…..Good. You?…...That’ll teach you to drink too much on a Tuesday night…..He said you had a late start…...It’s about the diary he found in the taxi last night…...Numbers and letters……That’s what Kathy said…..Nope…...One hundred percent…..Sure…..OK…..Bye.”

“And?”

“He’s on his way over.”

“I’ll quickly pop downstairs to brush my teeth and run a comb through my hair.”

“Kathy. Don’t be ridiculous. You look fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“You kill me you do.”

“Hey Steve. Come in.”

“Hi girls. Where’s the drug dealer’s book then?”

“Here.”

“It definitely looks like initials and amounts. Have you two come up with any ideas?”

“Look there. ESS. Those three numbers, and those four. We were thinking East Side Station, a safety deposit box number, and the 6627 is the combination to open it. Does that make any sense?”

“Yes it does. There are nine hundred safe deposit boxes, and the combinations are four digits.”

“How do you know?”

“I’ve used them, and more than once.”

“Steve. What have you used them for?”

“You don’t want to know Auntie Sara. Let’s go. Get dressed.”

“Go where?”

“East Side Station of course. Let’s do this. Kathy, go and run a comb through your hair, we’ll pick you up on the way down.”

“You cheeky bugger. We knew you’d know what to do. See you in a minute.”

“I’ll call Jeff. Work isn’t busy. He’ll be able to slide away.”

“You are on the ball Steve.”

“You know me Auntie Sara. Always on the go. It’s ringing. Hey mate…..At yours…….Yes they did…...East Side Station…...Yep…….And yep…...By the news stand…..Twenty minutes…...Ciao.”

“And?”

“He’s leaving work as we speak.”

“You two don’t mess about.”

“The early bird catches the worm Auntie Sara.”

“There he is.”

“Hi mum. Hi Kathy. You look well.”

“So do you Jeff. So do you.”

“Do we have a plan Steve?”

“Yes Jeff. The station is absolutely packed. We walk in there like we own the place. We find box 234 together, hope that 6627 is the combination, open it, then sail into the sunset. Ready everyone?”

“Yep.”

“Yes.”

“Let’s do it.”

“190. 200. 210. 220. 234. Here it is. Perfect. Hardly anyone can see us. Here we go. Six, six, two, seven.”

“CLICK!”

“It opened.”

“What’s in there Steve?”

“A very thick A4 sized envelope. Here Jeff. You found the little black book, so this belongs to you. Let’s go.”

“Where?”

“Let’s go out of the North exit and go straight into The Kestrel for lunch. Eyes forward, stay relaxed, and whatever you do, do not start looking around for people with guns.”

“Steve! Stop it!”

“Just joking Kathy. By the left! Quick march!”

“Let’s sit at that window table. It’ll give us a view of the whole Station.”

“Well done Steve.”

“Thanks Auntie Sara. Well Jeff. Are we going to have a peek?”

“Let’s wait until we’ve ordered a drink. It’ll give us time to watch the Station. You know what I mean.”

“Can I have a quick feel?”

“Not in front of mum Kathy!”

“You cheeky monkey!”

“Just kidding. Here.”

“It feels like there are two stacks of something in this envelope.”

“Dollar bills?”

“I don’t know Sara.”

“Thank you kind sir. We’re not sure if we’re eating yet.”

“No problem. Just wave a hand if you need me.”

“Jeff. Open the bloody envelope. The coast is definitely clear.”

“OK mum. Here we go.”

“Is that what I think it is?”

“If you think they are two stacks of one hundred dollar bills. Yes. It is what you think it is?”

“How much is there?”

“Twenty grand maybe.”

“Shit!”

“Language Steve!”

“Sorry Auntie Sara.”

“Lunch?”

“Sure.”

“Yep.”

“Let’s eat.”