‘What do you think?’ asked the nurse.

Nula couldn’t speak.

There was bruising. There was blood, a little. But also . . .

She had a normal nose.

It was dainty. A little turned up. Extremely cute.

‘It’s beautiful,’ she said, in a state of shock.

‘Yes,’ said the nurse, smiling. ‘It is.’

15

Charlie Stone was surprised when Nula turned up to his gaff again.

‘You look different,’ he said, trying to place exactly what was changed about her.

Before, she’d worn plain clothes, cheap stuff that made her vanish into the background, and her unstyled hair had been pure mouse, thin and horrible. Today, she was in a short pale blue dress, her hair was styled in an urchin cut. Charlie thought she looked tasty, actually. Surprisingly so.

‘My nose,’ she said.

Charlie stared. That was it. But she was thinner too. Quite fanciable. ‘Ah. That was the loan, yeah?’

‘It was. Yes.’

‘You’re a week behind, incidentally,’ he said sourly. He was in a bad mood. Beezer getting banged up had shaken him. He still couldn’t believe it. What a cunting arse the bloke was, with his fancy designer gear. And look what it had cost him. It had been close for the rest of them as well. Too bloody close.

‘I’ve been in the hospital. Having my nose done. Then getting better.’

‘Have you. Well good for you. But lateness incurs extra interest.’

‘What?’ Nula eyed him in disbelief.

‘It’s all part of the deal, as I explained to you when I made you the loan,’ he said. ‘Fifty per cent interest now, and if another single late payment occurs, that doubles to a hundred for six months.’

‘A hundred per cent?’

‘That’s correct.’ Charlie was staring at her face. She looked terrified, and he rather liked that. Made him feel powerful. Which, of course, he was. His mood lightened a bit.

‘You . . . you’re joking.’ Nula was stretched to the limit as it was. She couldn’t afford a single penny above what she was already paying. And he was talking about doubling her debt.

‘Does this face say joking?’ asked Charlie.

‘I can’t afford that,’ said Nula.

‘Well, you had better afford it, because that is the price and it’s non-negotiable,’ said Charlie, picking up his pen and nodding toward the door. ‘See yourself out.’

Terry and Jill were loitering out by the front door again, Jill all over big handsome Terry like a rash, as always. Nula barged past the pair of them, her mind in turmoil.

‘Oi! Manners!’ she heard Jill say as she shoved off down the path.

16