The Yank was delighted, hostility was his favourite gig. He said:
‘Bring me a pint of that bitter you guys drink, and any chance it might be like chilled.’
Sully said:
‘Not a chance in hell.’
Porter ordered a gin and slim-line tonic, the other two giving him a withering look.
There was a silence as they waited for the drinks, Roberts tapped his fingers on the table, irritating them all, himself most of all, but no one commented.
Porter said:
‘I’d kill for a fag.’
He had been diagnosed as diabetic so cigs were out, but it didn’t stop the craving, in fact, not being able to made it worse. Roberts laughed and Porter realized what he’d said… thought, uh-oh, Fag for a fag. It eased the tension, and the Yank put out his hand to Roberts, said:
‘We haven’t been introduced, I’m L. M. Wallace and you’re Roberts, the chief inspector?’
Roberts reluctantly took his hand, said:
‘I know who you are, you’re going to tell us how to run things, just what we need.’
The drinks came, Roberts was reaching for his wallet but Wallace beat him to it, said:
‘My treat.’
He raised the pint, inspected it, then said:
‘I’m not here to tell you jack shit, buddy. I’m here in an advisory position, not my idea I can tell you that, I could be back home, watching the Yankees having their ass handed to them.’
Porter raised his glass, said:
‘Hey, here’s to cooperation, right?’
Roberts drained his shot in one, shouted:
‘Sully, same again.’
Wallace clinked his glass against Porter’s, said:
‘Here’s looking at you, bro.’
He knocked off most of the pint in one toss, said:
‘Jesus H. Christ, that’s piss.’
Then he settled back in his chair, asked:
‘So, who shot your sergeant?’
Are we all bare-faced liars?
7
Falls had finally left the hospital, the nurse telling her Brant was comfortable and got the look from Falls, who asked:
‘He was shot in the back a few hours ago and he’s comfortable?’
The nurse, white, was never entirely at ease with black people, they seemed so angry all the time. She ventured:
‘It’s what we say, you know, to reassure the relatives.’
Falls was beginning to enjoy the mind fuck, asked:
‘You noticed that Sergeant Brant is white?’
‘Am… yes.’
Falls took her time, then:
‘So, how do you figure I’m related to him?’
The nurse fled.
Falls headed for the pub, she had her new rank to celebrate, went to The Oval pub right beside the station, bought a copy of The Big Issue from the homeless guy, who said:
‘Sorry to hear about Brant.’
‘Course, word would have spread all over the South-East, Brant downed at last. She muttered something, and the guy interpreted it as keep the change. She liked this pub, no cops, lots of villains, but then where didn’t?
The barman, surly git, growled:
‘What will it be?’
He hadn’t twigged her for the heat, or he’d have changed his tone. Falls said:
‘Large gin and tonic and a pack of B amp; H.’
The guy sniggered, said:
‘See that machine over there, the one that says “cigarettes” in large bright letters, guess what it’s for?’
Falls was tired, and the letter in her bag was burning a hole. She leaned over to the guy, said:
‘I’m Sergeant Falls, and I’m in a real fucking bad frame of mind, so how about you bring me what I ordered. I’ll be sitting over there in the corner.’
He did.
Even had the cellophone off the packet, one of the cigs perked up, Falls gave him a tenner and poured a tiny hint of the tonic in the glass, no need to screw up perfectly fine gin with tonic. She knocked back a sizeable wallop, sat back, waited for the jolt. It came fast and she let out a barely audible sigh. The guy brought her change and she snapped:
‘Same again.’
She was going to be massacred, see what the night would produce then. She waited till she was half through her second double before she allowed herself to think about the letter.
A time back, the Vixen case, a particularly nasty psycho named Angie, who took out two brothers and countless more they only suspected. Worse, she had deliberately targeted Falls, became her friend. And Falls, she cringed, despite the gin, blushed,… Jesus, the memory… on one very drunken occasion… her lover. It had nigh on destroyed her career and only a miracle in the form of Brant had saved her arse.
Angie was caught and pulled down heavy jail time. Falls had breathed a sigh of relief and only hoped some other crazy bitch would put a shiv in Angie’s back. She opened the latter, realized her hands were shaking, read:
Girlfriend,
How are you sweetie?
I’ve missed you.
Your black, creamy skin, your wild, abandoned love-making, your lovely face got me through so rough times here on her
Majesty’s Service.
Wonderful news.
I’m out.
Aren’t you delighted?
I know you are.
I know you long for me.
Patience, my black meat.
I have few a loose ends to put right, but then I’ll be round. I see you’re still at the same address.
We’ll make up for all the lost time.
Soon, my lover.
Be patient.
