I spent the next twenty-four hours in a cell. When they let me go I got handed a polythene bag holding my watch, wallet, phone and some change.
Guy on the front desk said, ‘That’ll be you off to get hammered.’
I’d never seen him before. ‘What?’
‘The booze is oozing out of you.’ He shook his head, slammed closed the black diary he’d been writing in, said, ‘Fucking alkies.’
On the way out the door, I started to shiver. My mouth felt like an open wound. Missing teeth catching the cold air of morning. I had managed a hundred yards when I heard my name spoken under breath.
‘Gus — Gus, over here,’ was called out from a dark vennel along from the police station.
I looked about. I wasn’t keen to venture into more trouble.
‘Gus, come here, would ya?’
I recognised the voice this time. Tried to make it look casual as I walked into the narrow street.
‘Christ, Fitz, this is a bit close to home for you, isn’t it?’
‘I had to grab you.’
‘Why? What’s wrong with the caff?’
‘Why do you think? You’re a marked man, Dury. By the Christ, aren’t ye ever!’
I let out a sigh. ‘Tell me something I don’t know.’
Fitz eyeballed me. ‘Jaysus, they did some job on ye boyo. Was Rambo, no doubt.’
‘What?’
‘London fellah. Built like a brick shithouse. He came up here about six months ago, playing the Big I Am, so he was. No one was afraid of him, mind. Christ, haven’t we Celts been sending them home to think again for long enough?’
‘Yeah, sounds like him.’
‘Ah, he’s a gobshite, I wouldn’t sweat over him.’
‘I’m not.’
‘Arrah, I wouldn’t give the likes of him the steam off my piss.’
I saw Fitz had a personal animus for this cop, but knew he hadn’t pulled me up to have a wee office bitch. ‘Fitz, did you have something for me?’
‘Have I ever.’
‘Well, let’s hear it.’
‘I’ve done a bit of digging about, like you said I should.’
‘And?’
‘You were right. If vice are interested in Benny Zalinskas, I’ve started taking it up the Gary Glitter.’
‘So someone was feeding you a cover story. Who?’
‘Not so fast, Dury. Remind me why I should tell you anything?’
I had Fitz on side, that much seemed clear. But it didn’t mean he wouldn’t make me work for any information he had.
‘Because, Fitz, when this blows, you’re the main beneficiary and you know it,’ I said. ‘I won’t bullshit you about being a good cop and doing right. Fuck, I know you’re as bad as the rest. This is your chance to settle some old scores. Think of all those bastards who laughed at you when you hit the slide. Give me the name behind this and I’ll make sure the ship sinks. All you need to do is get in the lifeboat when I give you the nod.’
‘I don’t know…’
‘Fitz, let’s put Billy’s death aside for a minute. There’s one thing you can tell me that means nothing to anyone except me.’
‘The old fellah?’
‘I need to know what happened to Milo.’
Fitz took off his hat, smoothed down his crown. ‘I’m afraid, that’s one you’ll never get to the bottom of.’
‘There’s a connection. You know it, and I sure as hell know it.’
‘I’m not saying there isn’t, but it could well have been an accident that got covered up. Maybe he saw something he shouldn’t have — these people cover their tracks, it’s what they do.’
‘So, that’s it? Another fucking suicide verdict.’
‘Misadventure, is the term,’ said Fitz, as he looked to the sky.
The urge for justice and revenge ratcheted up inside me.
‘Who’re the two bufties in there, bloke with a moustache and his soft-shoe shuffling mate?’
‘Matching beer guts?’
‘Yeah.’
‘That’s Collins and Roberts. Why?’
‘They’ve promised me a second round. I need to get moving on this or I’m finished. It’s now or never, Fitz.’
He peered into the street, took his hands out of his police-issue overcoat, pointed at me. ‘I swear by the Holy Mother, if this comes back to haunt me, I’ll cut yer throat.’
I’d had so many threats lately one more wasn’t going to scare me. ‘Scout’s honour.’
‘There’s a racket — you know about that.’
‘The girls from Eastern Europe.’
‘Yes. But it goes deeper than you can imagine.’
I’d seen so much already. It would have to be something to beat a wolf in a glass cage, but I played along, said, ‘Try me.’
‘Billy had been, oh… what’s the word, procuring girls for some of the top brass.’
‘Police — the Chief Constable?’
Fitz, raised his eyebrows. ‘Higher than that.’
‘What?’
‘I tell you, when this comes out, heads will more than roll.’
I wasn’t convinced. As if this kind of thing hadn’t been going on for ever. I couldn’t believe Billy got offed because he had some top-flight customers. Public execution just wasn’t their style.
‘Who is it, Fitz?’
He wiped his face. ‘I don’t know yet.’
‘What?’
‘It’s a conspiracy of silence. There’s names being thrown about like you would not believe, but no one’s putting their finger on it. I’ve got it narrowed down all right.’
‘To where?’
Fitz took a deep breath, held it for a few seconds. ‘The First Minister’s Cabinet.’