The Book of Death (Bourbon Kid 4)

as the way he did it.’
    ‘Why? What did he do?’
    Beth sniffed. The tears were
coming back. ‘He said my scar bothers everyone here and I should be more
considerate and cover it up.’
    ‘Fucking cunt.’
    JD stormed past her in the
direction of Simmonds’s office.

 
 
    Simmonds was glad to see the
back of Beth Lansbury. Now that the museum was under his control there was
absolutely no need to be employing women with facial disfigurements. It made
him shudder to think that Cromwell had been so foolish as to employ her in the
first place, what with the fact she was a convicted murderer too. What a
ghastly image for the museum. A scar-faced murderer working there. Well not any
more. Firing her had been fun too. He was still congratulating himself on
making her cry when the door to his office flew open and one angry looking dude
stormed in.
    ‘Who are you?’ Simmonds asked.
    ‘Are you Simmonds?’
    ‘Yes. And I’ll ask again, who
are you?’
    ‘I’m JD, the guy that’s come to
ram your face up your own ass.’
    Simmonds sighed and rolled his eyes.
‘Have you come to cause a scene?’ he said nonchalantly. ‘Because if you have,
I’ll get security to have you removed.’
    JD approached Simmonds desk and
leaned over it to get into his personal space. ‘Security’s lying on his back
upstairs with a broken nose.’
    ‘So you have come to cause a
scene then? Well you should know this. I know karate,’ Simmonds said coolly. He
demonstrated a few slow motion karate chops with his hands. ‘These hands are
deadly weapons.’
    JD reached over the desk and
grabbed him by the throat, hauling him up out of his seat, so that the two of
them were eyeball to eyeball. ‘Try using those hands now,’ he growled.
    Simmonds swallowed hard and
responded in as brave a voice as he could muster. ‘Get out of my office before
I call the police.’
    ‘You think it’s funny to take
the piss out of someone for having a scar on her face? How about I slice your
face up and then take the piss outta you?’
    Simmonds smirked and nodded at
the doorway behind JD. ‘Don’t make me embarrass you in front of your girlfriend.’
    JD looked back over his
shoulder. Beth was standing in the doorway behind him. Simmonds could see that
she’d been crying. She looked as bereft of self-confidence as she always did.
The girl really was a pathetic excuse for a human being. Simmonds couldn’t work
out quite how she’d ever managed to murder someone. She looked too timid.
    ‘JD, leave him,’ she pleaded.
‘It doesn’t matter. He’s not worth the trouble.’
    JD looked back at Simmonds. He
looked like he wanted to say something, but instead he slowly and reluctantly
released his grip on the manager’s throat. Simmonds slouched back into his
leather chair with a satisfied smirk across his face.
    ‘I carry a lot of sway around
this city these days you know,’ he bragged.
    ‘I don’t give a—’
    Beth jumped in to cut him short.
‘JD, please let’s just go. I don’t want any trouble with the police.’
    ‘See,’ said Simmonds. ‘With her
criminal record, she can’t take any chances, and neither should you. Listen to
Tony Montana. She knows what she’s talking about.’
    JD furrowed his brow. ‘What did
you just call her?’
    ‘Tony Montana. That’s what
everyone calls her around here. You know, Scarface.’
    Before JD could lunge over the
desk at Simmonds, Beth grabbed him by the arm.
    ‘Please let’s go,’ she said.
‘I’m glad I’m not working here any more. You wouldn’t want me to have a job
working for this guy, would you?’
    ‘No, but I’d feel better if I
knocked him out.’
    ‘But I won’t. I don’t want to
lose you again just because you’ve beaten up this loser and been arrested. Come
on, let’s go.’
    JD eyeballed Elijah Simmonds for
a few more seconds before Beth dragged him away. He managed one last comment.
It was almost lost under his breath but it was just loud enough for Simmonds to
pick up on it.
    ‘This isn’t finished.’
    Simmonds’s face broke out into a
huge grin. ‘Yeah, good one,’ he called after them as they left his office
without closing the door behind them. ‘See ya, JD. What’s that stand for
anyway? Juvenile Dick?’
    JD didn’t answer. Simmonds got
up and closed the door behind them then sat back at his desk and congratulated
himself on wielding a little more of his newly acquired power. He turned back
to his computer to check on the local news to see if