Full Fury (12 page)

So
all right—I was beginning to worry Finn. Investigating his car, tipping Freer about Busoni—if he’d realized. He’d be annoyed. Then why hadn’t he had me killed? Was there still something I could do for him better alive than dead?

Though
of course, it could have been a little private party of Troy’s, the dear exuberant boy keeping his eye in. After all, he
had
been bored, and I couldn’t offer him a game of chess.

My
driver was a cheerful little wiry individual, who came bursting in and said, ‘somebody want driving home?’ as though the lobby was full of us.

‘
You know The Beeches?’ I asked.

‘
No. Where is it?’

‘
About twenty miles from Shrewsbury.’

‘
Man,’ he said, ‘you’re in Merioneth.’

I
sighed. ‘So I’m in Merioneth. Will you take me?’

He
looked doubtful. I didn’t exude any aura of wealth. ‘Pick up my Porsche there,’ I said.

‘
It’ll cost.’ He cocked his head. ‘Twenty-five quid?’

‘
Right.’ What else could I have said?

I
sat in the front with him because I hoped he’d keep me awake. Through the drooping night I heard all about his wife’s difficulty with her brother, who was a policeman. I agreed you can’t easily live that down.

‘
You want to stop for a coffee?’ he said.

I
wanted, I think, more than anything to stop for a coffee, and one of those plates of everything that’ll fry that they have at transport cafés, but I was right out of the necessary. I said so.

‘
My treat,’ said my friend, who didn’t seem to be worrying about his twenty-five quid.

Which
made it a little difficult, and it looked like I’d have to make do with a bacon sandwich, only I must have been salivating or something because he grinned and said go ahead. It is difficult to eat chips and everything with one hand. I managed quite well, thank you very much.

Then
we drove on. The stuff they’d pumped into me was working off by now. I had my left hand on my knee, where I could watch it throbbing.

‘
This is Shrewsbury,’ he told me, seeing I was concentrating hard on not noticing the pain.

‘
Take the by-pass. Turn right for Much Wenlock at one of the islands. I can’t remember which.’

It
was about two when we reached The Beeches. I told him to drive round to the car park. ‘I’ll have to get you the money.’ But I wasn’t sure how or where. I got him to park just inside, and walked on from there. It had stopped raining. The floodlights were doing a good job, and I could see the Rover parked a little to one side of the Porsche. Troy was standing with his back to me, contemplating my car, his feet slightly straddled. I moved towards him with the confident stride of a man about to collect his car. I knew that stance of his.

He
swung round, on the ball of his right foot, practising his right-handed draw this time. His left leg was splayed out, his left arm swung back. My own left arm was useless, and my right fist wouldn’t have reached him. But my right foot did. The muzzle came up to my eyes as I contacted. He’d got his legs spread and I got him clear in the crotch. His mouth came open to howl and the gun fell from his hand. I kept going on in, and scooped up the gun in my right before it hit the tarmac. This one wasn’t plastic. I lashed the barrel back-handed across his mouth in time to cut the howl down to a hiss. He swayed, half bent, teeth showing through the gap in his upper lip, and fell down on one knee.

The
safety catch was off. I slid it on, because they can be dangerous things, guns. Then I slid it off again because I’d heard the soft snick of a car’s door being opened carefully. I turned. The Rover’s door was open. A large man was coming at me fast with the hard light behind him, preceded by a smell of aniseed. There was a shape in his hand, so I fired. Not that I expected to hit anything, but I think I got his knee cap and he went down writhing and screaming. Then it died to a whimper.

I
turned back to Troy, who was getting the breath back into his lungs. I said: ‘Get your friend into the car. And don’t try to be clever. I’m feeling nervous.’

He
got his friend into the Rover. Blood was dripping from his mouth. He shut the door and turned back to me. His face was blank and a greenish colour.

‘
Reach inside your breast pocket,’ I told him. ‘Very gently. No tricks.’

‘
There’s nothing in there,’ he managed to say.

‘
Your wallet.’

He
stared. He reached, and produced his wallet. ‘Six fivers,’ I said.

His
eyebrows shot up. ‘It’s armed robbery.’

‘
So it is. Six fivers.’

He
got out six fivers. I told him to start walking, and we went over to the taxi.

I
said: ‘Hand ‘em over.’

My
driver hadn’t missed a thing. He took the money. He wasn’t too shaken to count it. ‘There’s thirty here.’

‘I owe you for a meal. And a tip. Take my advice and get out of here.’

He
grinned. ‘Better than the tele it’s been.’

We
went back to my car. I stood back, and handed the keys to Troy.

‘
Open the door, wind down the window, and get in.’

I
was hoping to give him the impression I was a dead shot with a gun, expecting to be able to pick him off through the window. But I’ve hardly ever handled one, and there’s not many people can hit a barn at twenty paces, if you want to know the truth. I stood to one side, so’s not to be in his line if he thought of running me down.

‘
Start the engine.’

He
started it. Nothing else happened, only the gentle clitter of the cold tappets. Of course, they wouldn’t have been so stupid as to booby-trap it, but I’d been watching some tele too. I got him out of there. Any second, somebody was going to come running, and I wanted to get away.

I
got in, and only then realized I wasn’t going to be able to work the gear shift with my left hand. Dave Mallin can be awful slow. I got out again.

All
this time Troy had been moving as though his brain had gone sour. Perhaps he wasn’t feeling so good.

‘
Inside again,’ I told him.

‘
Eh?’

‘
We’re going for a run. Get behind the wheel.’

By
that time I’m certain he’d realized I wouldn’t fire the thing. But he knew I’d hit him with it again if he gave me half an excuse. Troy might have been good at handing it out, but taking it didn’t improve his enthusiasm at all. All he did was open his mouth to make a protest, then he got in. Three people were coming down the entrance steps. I slid into the passenger seat.

Perhaps
Troy was one hell of a driver in an automatic, but with a gear box to handle he was murder. I suffered. I’m not sure which was the greater pain, my left hand or his driving.

‘
Birmingham,’ I said. ‘And use the clutch, you big oaf. The clutch!’

After
ten miles he was getting used to it. All the way there he snuffled, but I hadn’t got any tissues for him. I didn’t speak to him in case I blunted his concentration. It was very late when I guided him into the crescent where I live, and got him to climb out. I locked it up.

‘
Right,’ I said. ‘Off.’

‘
But how’d I get back?’ he whined.

‘
Walk!’ I felt like snarling, so I snarled. ‘Bloody walk, for all I care.’ I turned away. ‘Here.’ I turned back and thrust the gun at him. ‘Take this thing with you.’

I
left him standing in the street with the gun in his hand at three twenty-two in the morning, and he didn’t send one shot after me.

It
occurred to me that some time in the day I should have rung Elsa. Come to think of it, I should have rung my brother too. I dragged myself up the steps into the hall and decided that the morning would be a good time to start.

Beside
the phone in the hall there were two messages for me. ‘Mrs Forbes rang 7.30.’ That was Elsa. And: ‘Mrs Forbes rang—11.00’ So I’d have to call her, however late it was. Only this was a pay phone, and I was out of change. I got up to my dump and hunted for change, but there was nothing the right shape. I went down again and asked exchange to see if Mrs Forbes would accept the call. Mallin this end. You remember, the chap you’re due to marry tomorrow.

‘
David! ‘ she said. ‘Where have you
been
?
’

I
was tired. ‘Touring Wales.’

‘
I’ve been waiting all day for you to call, and you haven’t. Now you’re being funny.’

‘
I didn’t see much of it.’ Silence. ‘Wales. It was dark.’

I
could hear she was still breathing. ‘Elsa, I’m sorry love. Really. But things happened, and I just haven’t been able to get in touch.’

‘
David, you’ve got your silly, formal voice on.’

‘
I’m very tired.’ And in pain, and not used to handling a phone at my right ear. ‘Did I wake you up?’

‘
As though I could sleep. Did you ring your brother?’

‘
There’s really no point…’

‘
But you said you would. You promised.’

Had
I? ‘He’ll be here tomorrow.’

‘
Today, you mean. It’s Thursday now.’

‘
Yes. He’ll be here. There’s no question about it.’ A pause while I waited for her to say something. As she didn’t: ‘Is there?’

‘
I wish you’d check.’

‘
Now
?
’

‘
Yes, now.’

‘
Do you realize the time?’

‘
Only too well,’ she said. ‘I’ve been watching the clock for the past twelve hours.’

‘
All right,’ I said. ‘All right Elsa, I’ll call him.’

‘
And ring me back?’

‘
Of course.’

I
hung up and took a deep breath. Ted was in London. It was still half past three in London. I asked exchange to get me the number and see whether Mr Mallin would accept the call. I wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d told her to drop dead. But he came on.

‘
David? What the hell’s the matter?’

‘
Nothing Ted. Just checking things are O.K.’

‘
What’s the matter with you, Dave?’ he asked. ‘You’re as nervous as a sixteen-year-old virgin.’

‘
Just checking.’

‘
We’ll be on the eight-seven, get into the hotel about ten-thirty in the morning.
This
morning. Suit you?’

‘
Yes. Fine.’

‘
I’ll come over and we’ll have a natter. The facts of life. Marjorie said I can’t let you go in blind.’

Good
old Ted. Wake him at three-thirty, and all he thinks about is sex. ‘I may not be here.’

‘
Elsa’s?’ Ted approved of Elsa.

‘
I’m on a case.’

‘
A case? Now?’

‘
It happens.’ I let him absorb it. ‘Listen Ted, if we don’t get together…’

‘
Of course we’ll get together.’

‘
If we don’t, I’ve got a taxi picking you up about half past nine, Friday morning.’

‘
Dave, I can get my own taxi.’

‘
Then get your own bloody taxi.’

I
thought he’d hung up. Then, gently: ‘Anything I can help with?’

‘
Sorry Ted. No. I’m just a bit rough. We’ll get together. I’ll call the hotel.’

I
rang off. Got the exchange. Asked them to find out if Mrs Forbes would… You know the routine.

‘
It’s quite all right, Elsa. You can sleep sound.’

‘
David, what did you mean about Wales?’

‘
I’ll tell you when I see you, eh?’

‘
Tomorrow? I mean—today?’

‘
If I can.

‘
If you
can
?
’

‘
You see, I’m on this case…’

Nobody
said they loved anybody. Once more I’d got a dead phone in my hand.

I
didn’t trouble exchange again, as I had a fair idea that Mrs Forbes would not be inclined to accept the call.