Streep. I’ll put it back, it was just sitting there. But I do have good news.’
‘You shot the accountant?’
He laughed, said, ‘That’s more like it son. Let me put it this way, Quinn won’t be a problem, I know you were concerned there.’
‘Jeez, you didn’t top a cop!’
‘Naw, they just broke his legs. If I’d another few hundred they’d have completed the job. But fuck, the readies are tight. Anyroad he won’t be playing for the Police Reserves this season.’
‘You’re a piece of work Doc, you’re a real fuckin’ class act. I better buy a lorry load of strawberry delights.’
‘What?’
‘For the Noble savage, he’s fond of his bikky he is.’
When Doc had gone, I thought about funerals. The way things were shaping, I’d soon be arranging my own. In prison, Doc had waxed eloquent and long about the Irish rituals for it, mainly he’d waxed long.
At a loss after Doc left, I flicked through the paper. Read an article on Patricia Highsmith and liked her saying, ‘I find the public passion for justice quite boring and artificial, for neither life nor nature cares if justice is ever done or not.’
‘Amen,’ I said.
Time to move, I’d an accountant to see, Doc and I had force back-pedalled from out and out war. Not so much a sheathing of weapons as an option for other battlefields. But that didn’t mean I couldn’t bounce somebody’s head off a wall.
Heard the post come through the box, didn’t think it would be news to cheer. The handwriting on the envelope was now familiar. Could be worse I thought, the loony bitch could be phoning. Opened it with a heavy heart. In large clear writing she began,
‘O Happi-Mou,
Why do you refuse us, we are destined to be one and, so it shall be. Time to wake up and smell that coffee – you hear what I’m saying.
A woman described my beloved MacNeice as having the looks of a fallen angel. Like you, he believed himself to have become, as a result of his childhood ‘in a strange way hollow’. And he remained ‘always terrified of his father’.
Darling David, let me make you complete. Ariana can be your daughter too. I just know you’re made to be my family
I won’t be sending any more mail as, obviously, you won’t be able to receive it. Don’t fret about a suitable ardrobe for Morocco. I’ll take care of all your needs. Men are hopeless at such practicalities. Feel the warmth touch your hand, that’s me.
Sagapoh,
Your Cassie,
Siempre.’
I bundled it fast, lobbed and caught it on the fall with my right foot. Kicked it mightily across the room and saw it bounce off the far wall.
‘In one,’ I said.
I parcelled up the guns lest Noble came calling. Took them out to the car, piled them in the boot – a day to drive carefully. Thought I wasn’t showing the strain till I got to the accountant’s office and Iris said, ‘What happened to you?’
‘More important, what happened to Duran Duran?’
‘You look rough Cooper, maybe you should call round to me, I’ll give you some T.L.C.’
Time to cut to the chase.
‘Is he in?’
‘He’s tied up.’
‘Sure.’
And I barged on in.
He looked more like a sour priest than ever. A large slice of Danish was en route to his mouth, I said, ‘Arnold L. White – mid bite.’
‘What happened to knocking Mr Cooper?’
‘What happened to my business?’
He took a chunk of the pastry, chewed a bit, then a gulp of coffee, replied, ‘A touch of poetic justice you’ll appreciate. Your firm is up for repossession – isn’t that ironic.’
‘It’s fuckin’ criminal is what it is.’
‘You sound, how should I put it – surprised.’
‘I’m bloody flabbergasted.’
‘Am I to believe your partner didn’t inform you of the developments?’
‘Got that right pal. You didn’t think to give me a bell yourself?’
‘Not my place dear boy.’
‘Leopold, don’t you care if you go down the shitter with me.’
‘Never happen Sir –
‘You shot the accountant?’
He laughed, said, ‘That’s more like it son. Let me put it this way, Quinn won’t be a problem, I know you were concerned there.’
‘Jeez, you didn’t top a cop!’
‘Naw, they just broke his legs. If I’d another few hundred they’d have completed the job. But fuck, the readies are tight. Anyroad he won’t be playing for the Police Reserves this season.’
‘You’re a piece of work Doc, you’re a real fuckin’ class act. I better buy a lorry load of strawberry delights.’
‘What?’
‘For the Noble savage, he’s fond of his bikky he is.’
When Doc had gone, I thought about funerals. The way things were shaping, I’d soon be arranging my own. In prison, Doc had waxed eloquent and long about the Irish rituals for it, mainly he’d waxed long.
At a loss after Doc left, I flicked through the paper. Read an article on Patricia Highsmith and liked her saying, ‘I find the public passion for justice quite boring and artificial, for neither life nor nature cares if justice is ever done or not.’
‘Amen,’ I said.
Time to move, I’d an accountant to see, Doc and I had force back-pedalled from out and out war. Not so much a sheathing of weapons as an option for other battlefields. But that didn’t mean I couldn’t bounce somebody’s head off a wall.
Heard the post come through the box, didn’t think it would be news to cheer. The handwriting on the envelope was now familiar. Could be worse I thought, the loony bitch could be phoning. Opened it with a heavy heart. In large clear writing she began,
‘O Happi-Mou,
Why do you refuse us, we are destined to be one and, so it shall be. Time to wake up and smell that coffee – you hear what I’m saying.
A woman described my beloved MacNeice as having the looks of a fallen angel. Like you, he believed himself to have become, as a result of his childhood ‘in a strange way hollow’. And he remained ‘always terrified of his father’.
Darling David, let me make you complete. Ariana can be your daughter too. I just know you’re made to be my family
I won’t be sending any more mail as, obviously, you won’t be able to receive it. Don’t fret about a suitable ardrobe for Morocco. I’ll take care of all your needs. Men are hopeless at such practicalities. Feel the warmth touch your hand, that’s me.
Sagapoh,
Your Cassie,
Siempre.’
I bundled it fast, lobbed and caught it on the fall with my right foot. Kicked it mightily across the room and saw it bounce off the far wall.
‘In one,’ I said.
I parcelled up the guns lest Noble came calling. Took them out to the car, piled them in the boot – a day to drive carefully. Thought I wasn’t showing the strain till I got to the accountant’s office and Iris said, ‘What happened to you?’
‘More important, what happened to Duran Duran?’
‘You look rough Cooper, maybe you should call round to me, I’ll give you some T.L.C.’
Time to cut to the chase.
‘Is he in?’
‘He’s tied up.’
‘Sure.’
And I barged on in.
He looked more like a sour priest than ever. A large slice of Danish was en route to his mouth, I said, ‘Arnold L. White – mid bite.’
‘What happened to knocking Mr Cooper?’
‘What happened to my business?’
He took a chunk of the pastry, chewed a bit, then a gulp of coffee, replied, ‘A touch of poetic justice you’ll appreciate. Your firm is up for repossession – isn’t that ironic.’
‘It’s fuckin’ criminal is what it is.’
‘You sound, how should I put it – surprised.’
‘I’m bloody flabbergasted.’
‘Am I to believe your partner didn’t inform you of the developments?’
‘Got that right pal. You didn’t think to give me a bell yourself?’
‘Not my place dear boy.’
‘Leopold, don’t you care if you go down the shitter with me.’
‘Never happen Sir –
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