‘Of course.’
‘How was she?’
Billy slugged more lager. ‘I’m sorry, how do you mean?’
‘Just that, how did she seem when you spoke to her? She had just returned from identifying her husband’s body. She came across as measured and calm in the interview.’
‘That’s how she was.’
‘Do you think she was in shock?’
Billy considered this. The hash pipe. The sly glances. The bare feet next to his hand. ‘No, I don’t think so.’
‘Did she say anything about Frank? Or Dean?’
‘Nothing that didn’t go into the piece.’
Price sipped his Best. ‘It strikes me that she doesn’t seem too upset by Frank’s death.’
Billy didn’t speak.
‘What do you think of that?’
Billy took a long drink. ‘Are you suggesting she had something to do with it?’
Price shook his head. ‘I’m not suggesting anything. I’m just trying to get a feel for her.’
‘She didn’t seem that upset. I got the impression she was more sorry for Ryan’s sake than her own.’
‘That’s what I thought. But if that’s the case, why would she cover for Dean? She surely has no allegiances to him? Unless she’s been seeing him on the side. They do seem almost glued together at times.’
Billy tried to remember everything Adele had said. He imagined her fucking Dean, or Frank. Or both. He shivered. What was wrong with him?
‘I think she might be scared of Dean,’ he said.
‘He is quite a piece of work. But you would think she’d be used to it by now, married to Frank for years. Then again Frank was the brains, Dean has always been the one willing and eager to do the dirty work.’
‘What was Frank like?’
‘Quiet, but dominating. A hard man, but relatively old-school.’
Billy looked at Price. ‘You almost sound like you admire him.’
‘Far from it. I’ve seen a lot of misery in people’s lives brought about by that heartless bastard. But if I had to choose between having to deal with Frank Whitehouse or the Mackie boys, I’d take Frank every time.’
‘Really?’
Price nodded. ‘The Mackies are a whole new level of scum. There’s stuff they wouldn’t hesitate to get involved in that the Whitehouses wouldn’t even have considered.’
‘Like what?’
Price looked at Rose. ‘It doesn’t matter. Let’s just say that as the old guard of crooks die off and the new lot come in, I’m glad I’m retiring soon. If I can nail the Mackies for Frank’s death, and Dean Whitehouse for the Mackie shooting before I go, then I’ll have done a pretty decent job of cleaning up the mess in this city.’
Billy thought about that. All this from a car accident. His car accident. Maybe he’d performed a public service, starting a chain of events that would end with the criminal world destroying itself. Happy ever after. Yeah, right.
‘Anyway,’ Price said. ‘I was hoping you might be able to do me a favour.’
‘Oh?’
‘Nothing drastic. I was just wondering if you’d mind going to see Adele Whitehouse again, see if you can get something more out of her.’
Billy pictured her. She said she’d phone. He slipped his phone out of his pocket and sneaked a look. Nothing.
‘I don’t know.’
‘Rose tells me you had a fairly unorthodox way of getting to her.’
‘Maybe.’
‘I don’t need to know the details, just the results, if you manage to speak to her.’
‘I don’t see what you’re expecting me to achieve. You interviewed her at the station, what else can I do?’
‘Judging by your piece, quite a lot. She opened up to you. Rose has a theory that it’s down to animal magnetism.’ He smiled at her across the table, and Billy felt like he was playing gooseberry. ‘I wouldn’t know anything about that. But whatever the reason, I think it’s worth a go. Are you up for it?’
‘I suppose.’
He wanted to see her, couldn’t stop thinking about her. Something had almost happened between them. He’d killed her husband. He knew about her covering for Dean. His head ached, the lump on his temple throbbing with its own life force. He lifted his hand to it and rubbed.
‘That looks nasty,’ Price said. ‘Have you had it looked at?’
‘His brother’s a doctor,’ Rose said. Billy had forgotten she was there. She’d let them knock the conversation back and forth, never speaking. Sign of a good reporter. ‘He took a look at it, didn’t he?’
‘Yeah, said it was nothing to worry about.’
‘How did you do it?’ Price asked.
‘He wouldn’t tell me,’ Rose said.
Billy imagined what it would be like if he confessed, finally told the truth.
‘Just a stupid drinking injury,’ he said.
19
‘There you go, girl.’
Jeanie stuck her nose in the new basket and thumped her tail. She stepped in and circled three times, checking everything, then she nestled down and placed her chin on her paws with a look of satisfaction.
Billy had jumped in the car and headed to the big supermarket at Cameron Toll. He took a wander down the pet aisle, Jeanie sitting in the trolley. He picked up dog food and biscuits, chewy things and squeaky toys, stainless-steel bowls, a collar and lead, the basket and blanket. A handful of treats, to put some meat on her bones.
Back home, he’d arranged all the stuff in his bedroom. Zoe didn’t mind. She’d always had dogs growing up, black Labs, something Billy was jealous of. Her place in Trinity had a big garden for them to run around in, and Zoe’s mum didn’t have to work so was always there for walks while Zoe’s dad was out cutting deals or whatever, all the while Zoe traipsing across town to George Heriot’s at a cost of umpteen thousand quid a year.
Now he had his own dog. It felt good. He sat on the floor and rubbed his hand up and down her flank. He wondered where she’d come from, what had happened for her to be found wandering the streets alone. Might’ve been abused, or maybe she was simply lost. She was undernourished, he could see that. She was friendly and obedient, though. Maybe she recognised a fellow lost soul when she saw one.
‘She’s beautiful,’ Zoe said.
‘She certainly is.’
Jeanie opened an eye. She knew they were talking about her. Her tail flickered into life briefly then dropped again.
Zoe was sitting on the bed behind Billy. ‘I’m sorry.’
He didn’t look up. ‘What do you have to be sorry about?’
She was stroking his neck now, mirroring his own hands on Jeanie. ‘We should’ve reported it.’
There was a long silence. Eventually Billy spoke. ‘Yes, we should’ve.’
‘But it’s too late now, you have to see that.’
‘I don’t want to talk about it.’
‘But we have to, honey.’
‘No we don’t.’ Billy looked up finally. ‘Sitting here with Jeanie is the most peaceful I’ve felt since it happened. I don’t want it to end.’
