Read Online Long Time Dead (Gus Dury 4) by Tony Black - Free Book Online Page A

laugh; forced one. ‘Christ, there’s a first.’
    I took a deep breath, exhaled slowly. I could feel the muscles tightening in my throat. ‘But …’
    ‘Hah … I knew it. Isn’t there always one of them with ye!’
    I battened it down, went Zen. ‘Fitz, we need to talk.’
    ‘Oh we do, do we now?’
    ‘I’m not fucking about here.’
    ‘Well, that’s another first.’
    ‘I’m serious. It’s Gillian Laird’s son … I’m on the case.’
    I could almost hear him hissing. ‘Oh, feckin’ hellfire, Dury, what in the name of Christ are ye doing there?’
    ‘Look, Fitz, there’s more to this than—’
    ‘I have absolutely nothing to say.’ He spoke through clenched teeth, I pictured him squeezing the receiver. ‘I am not about to discuss official police business with you … not now, not ever.’
    His voice was pitched for an audience. I put in the hook. ‘I have something for you.’
    Silence. Then, ‘Like I say, I cannot discuss—’
    ‘Meet me on the Walk … Thursday lunchtime in Robbie’s Bar.’
    ‘There will be no meeting. The case is an official police matter and will proceed as such, in the proper manner!’
    He clicked off.
    I watched the call time flash. Broke three minutes: think it was a record.
    My coffee came, fired down with a free dose of derision and a roll of eyes behind thatched fringe. Didn’t give him the satisfaction of acknowledgement; took up the coffee, drained a good slug and waved him along with the back of my hand. Little shitkicker was working on my last nerve. He pushed his luck any further with me, he’d be sampling one of those jumbo cookies … as a suppository.
    Was turning the cap on my half-bottle when the door swung.
    ‘Fucking typical!’ said Amy.
    ‘Wha’?’
    ‘Jesus Christ … is it not a bit early for that?’
    The only other drink I had was the Black Heart; if it was too early for the scoosh, it was definitely too early for the rum, said, ‘Don’t think so.’
    She shook her head, ordered up a mineral water, sparkling one.
    ‘So, you been missing me, Gus?’
    She had a beam on her that wouldn’t look out of place on a Seacat’s searchlight. Her smile fair dazzled me. ‘Yeah, something like that.’ I played up to her.
    Amy sat, she wore black skinny jeans with a very high turn-up. As she crossed her legs her thigh made an arch beneath the denim. She was pretty toned. In case I doubted it she took off her jacket – top so tight I could count her ribs, and a couple of other protuberances. Jesus, she was looking fit. A warning light flashed behind my eyes; but I told myself there was no harm in looking. I could handle Amy. Sure I could.
    ‘Actually … I’m mixing business with pleasure,’ I said.
    ‘Pleasure …’ She rolled the word over her lips, pouted.
    ‘More business, really.’
    She flung back her head, laughed, clapped her hands together. ‘Oh fuck, Gus, get over yourself. I’m only playing with you.’
    I had a laugh at that myself. We’d broke the ice. Amy’s mineral water came. She twisted the cap, then tucked her dark hair behind her ear as she sipped.
    ‘You still at the uni?’ I asked.
    She rolled her eyes, kept drinking. When she removed the bottle from her lips, she took a deep breath, said, ‘Uni … yeah, why?’
    ‘I’m on a case.’
    Her expression hardened. ‘Oh, shit … not Bender Ben, is it?’
    ‘Come again?’
    She put the cap on her water, leaned in. ‘Ben Laird … the actress’s son.’
    ‘You knew him?’
    ‘Knew of him … Total cock. Sorry to speak ill of the dead and all that but he was a fucking sleaze.’
    I took a blast of whisky-laced coffee, said, ‘ Sleaze ?’
    Amy rolled her eyes again and made a wanker gesture with her hand. ‘Y’know … spoiled little rich kid with a big fucking ego … thought himself the dog’s bollocks. He was one of those high-visibility twats, y’know the type.’
    I sure did. ‘Flash arsehole?’
    ‘Got it in one.’
    Amy looked out into the street, her