Page 46 of Ticket Out

“I can honestly say it is extremely good to meet you, George,” Gabriella said, using the iodine swabs in the first aid kit on Mr. Rodney’s cut.

She caught George’s quick grin.

“How you holding up there, Mr. Rodney?” George asked, helping Solomon as they rolled their jackets up to use as a pillow for his head.

The ambulance arrived quickly, lights and sirens blaring, and the medics loaded Mr. Rodney up on a stretcher and left for the hospital right away.

It was a sober statement on how bad his injury was.

They even let Solomon go along with to the hospital, when he explained he was Mr. Rodney’s family.

Gabriella packed up the first aid kit and began walking back to the club to return it.

George walked beside her. Maybe Solomon had told him to keep an eye on her. “You know who that was who attacked you?”

She shook her head. “I couldn’t see his face. But I have some ideas about why he did it.”

“And one of those ideas means Melvin might come to the attention of the coppers if they knew he was mixed up in what happened tonight?”

Gabriella nodded.

He said nothing more, but when Melvin appeared at the top of the club’s steps, he motioned him down.

“Scarper before the coppers get here. You weren’t here, right.”

“Right.” Melvin was quick on the uptake. He nodded to Gabriella.

“Thanks for the rescue, Melvin,” she said. “Things were getting dicey.”

He just grinned at her, and then he was gone, melting into the darkness.

Catherine stepped out and ran down the steps, and Gabriella handed her the first aid kit. “Solomon went with Mr. Rodney to the hospital.”

“Someone stabbed him, Mel said?”

Gabriella nodded.

“Did you see who?”

“It was dark, he was masked up, and it happened quickly. Lucky the boys were coming up the road at the right time.”

“You go to Sol at the hospital, Cat. I’ll sort things here.” George patted her shoulder awkwardly.

She gave a nod and ran back up the stairs.

As she disappeared inside, the police arrived.

Two bobbies on foot, and a car.

She saw the bobbies gazes flick over the tight group of boys outside the club, then George, then herself.

“I’m one of the people who was attacked,” she said, to get their attention fully on her.

“How many people were attacked?” one of the officers who’d arrived by car asked.

“Just me and Mr. Rodney. The ambulance took Mr. Rodney away. The attacker stabbed him.”

“Just the one person attacked you?” The officer had come around the car, standing closer to her, which was better than the distance he’d had before. He looked as if he expected trouble.

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