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Authors: Brendan O'Carroll
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old fellow at Sparrow’s left was showing him a jab and a right-cross. Sparrow nodded dutifully. Eileen thought she felt something touch her behind, like something leaning against her bottom. Suddenly she was pinched. She spun around to see who the offender was. Thebroad, burly, pugnacious-looking man gaping at her was Teddy Morgan. Eileen’s smile turned to a scowl. ‘Would you mind keeping your hands to yourself,’ she said through clenched teeth.
‘Now, now, Eileen, you know you want me,’ Teddy sneered back at her.
Dolly joined in the attack. ‘Leave her alone, yeh big bollix.’ Dolly Coffey did not mince her words.
Teddy slowly raised his arm and gently stroked Eileen’s cheek. ‘Still Mammy’s little girl, eh Eileen?’
Dolly wasn’t giving up. ‘Here, why don’t you bring in your brother and double your IQ to fuckin’ six!’ The other women laughed.
Teddy didn’t like being laughed at, and he turned his attention to Mrs Coffey. ‘Yeh have a big mouth, Missus,’ he said nastily.
The women around Dolly went quiet. But Dolly didn’t back off – in fact she leaned towards Teddy. ‘Big enough to bite yer fuckin’ head off.’
Suddenly Sparrow came over. He stood between Mrs Coffey, Eileen and Teddy. Although shorter by far than Teddy, he still squared up to him. When Sparrow spoke, his voice was quiet and even. ‘Have you a problem, Teddy?’
‘Don’t give me this macho shit, Sparrow. I might just take offence and break your fuckin’ neck!’
‘Then you better get the neck on its own, Teddy.’ Sparrow stared straight into Teddy’s eyes. Eileen wanted to take Sparrow by the hand and pull him away, but she knew better. Any sudden movement now might just be the spark that’d cause the explosion. The two men stood looking at each other. The entire pub had gone quiet. Bottles weretaken from the tables and held by people’s sides. Old boxers were ready to move into action if required. Teddy slowly glanced around the room and the expressions on all the faces told him he had no friends here. He backed down. ‘Just get the keys of the car, Sparrow. Simon wants the collecting done by four o’clock.’
Sparrow’s eyes didn’t leave Teddy and the pitch of his voice didn’t change. ‘I’ll follow you out.’
Teddy turned and sneered at Mrs Coffey and gave Eileen a suggestive wink as he left. The general conversation rose again.
Sparrow turned to Eileen. ‘See you at about half-five, love. Are you all right?’
‘I’m grand, Sparrow. You mind yourself, love!’
He kissed her softly and into her ear whispered, ‘I will – I’m sorry about last night, love.’ They smile at each other, and a simple wink from Eileen told Sparrow that he was forgiven for his suggestion that they might separate. Sparrow tossed the keys in the air and left the pub.
* * *
Snuggstown Shopping Centre, 3.45pm
The black Jaguar was parked outside the video shop. Sparrow sat in the driver’s seat reading a newspaper. The street was decked out with Christmas lights and all the shops festooned with decorations. Sparrow was half-reading the newspaper and half-mulling over what he would get Eileen for Christmas. The two Morgan brothers came out of the video shop, laughing, and climbed into the back of theJaguar. Sparrow tucked his paper between the seats and started the car. He put on the left-hand indicator and pulled out into traffic, checking his rear-view mirror as he did. In the mirror he saw Teddy rip open an envelope and extract cash from it. Sparrow closed his eyes.
When Sparrow took the job as driver for Simon Williams he knew exactly what Simple Simon did for a living, and he knew exactly what he would be doing for Simple Simon – driving him here, driving him there, and driving Teddy and Bubbles wherever Simple Simon told them they had to be at any given time. He knew Simon Williams ran the drugs, prostitution and racketeering scenes in Snuggstown, but Sparrow absolved himself by continually
‘Now, now, Eileen, you know you want me,’ Teddy sneered back at her.
Dolly joined in the attack. ‘Leave her alone, yeh big bollix.’ Dolly Coffey did not mince her words.
Teddy slowly raised his arm and gently stroked Eileen’s cheek. ‘Still Mammy’s little girl, eh Eileen?’
Dolly wasn’t giving up. ‘Here, why don’t you bring in your brother and double your IQ to fuckin’ six!’ The other women laughed.
Teddy didn’t like being laughed at, and he turned his attention to Mrs Coffey. ‘Yeh have a big mouth, Missus,’ he said nastily.
The women around Dolly went quiet. But Dolly didn’t back off – in fact she leaned towards Teddy. ‘Big enough to bite yer fuckin’ head off.’
Suddenly Sparrow came over. He stood between Mrs Coffey, Eileen and Teddy. Although shorter by far than Teddy, he still squared up to him. When Sparrow spoke, his voice was quiet and even. ‘Have you a problem, Teddy?’
‘Don’t give me this macho shit, Sparrow. I might just take offence and break your fuckin’ neck!’
‘Then you better get the neck on its own, Teddy.’ Sparrow stared straight into Teddy’s eyes. Eileen wanted to take Sparrow by the hand and pull him away, but she knew better. Any sudden movement now might just be the spark that’d cause the explosion. The two men stood looking at each other. The entire pub had gone quiet. Bottles weretaken from the tables and held by people’s sides. Old boxers were ready to move into action if required. Teddy slowly glanced around the room and the expressions on all the faces told him he had no friends here. He backed down. ‘Just get the keys of the car, Sparrow. Simon wants the collecting done by four o’clock.’
Sparrow’s eyes didn’t leave Teddy and the pitch of his voice didn’t change. ‘I’ll follow you out.’
Teddy turned and sneered at Mrs Coffey and gave Eileen a suggestive wink as he left. The general conversation rose again.
Sparrow turned to Eileen. ‘See you at about half-five, love. Are you all right?’
‘I’m grand, Sparrow. You mind yourself, love!’
He kissed her softly and into her ear whispered, ‘I will – I’m sorry about last night, love.’ They smile at each other, and a simple wink from Eileen told Sparrow that he was forgiven for his suggestion that they might separate. Sparrow tossed the keys in the air and left the pub.
* * *
Snuggstown Shopping Centre, 3.45pm
The black Jaguar was parked outside the video shop. Sparrow sat in the driver’s seat reading a newspaper. The street was decked out with Christmas lights and all the shops festooned with decorations. Sparrow was half-reading the newspaper and half-mulling over what he would get Eileen for Christmas. The two Morgan brothers came out of the video shop, laughing, and climbed into the back of theJaguar. Sparrow tucked his paper between the seats and started the car. He put on the left-hand indicator and pulled out into traffic, checking his rear-view mirror as he did. In the mirror he saw Teddy rip open an envelope and extract cash from it. Sparrow closed his eyes.
When Sparrow took the job as driver for Simon Williams he knew exactly what Simple Simon did for a living, and he knew exactly what he would be doing for Simple Simon – driving him here, driving him there, and driving Teddy and Bubbles wherever Simple Simon told them they had to be at any given time. He knew Simon Williams ran the drugs, prostitution and racketeering scenes in Snuggstown, but Sparrow absolved himself by continually
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