knew they could sink low. God knows we've seen how low they can sink over the years - but this? An innocent wife and child, just to get at me?'
He banged his fist down hard on the table. Several glasses fell over, spilling their contents. Agnes began to half-heartedly dab at the mess with her napkin. Parker helped her.
'I'm very sorry,' Parker said. 'You must have been very close.'
'Very,' Agnes said.
Stewart appeared at the door again and signalled to Brinn to come over.
He stood up and crossed over while Agnes continued mopping up. The boy, neglected through dinner, had woken up as the glasses were knocked over and was now demanding a drink. Agnes ignored him, her eyes glazed, as she worked at the stained tablecloth. Parker reached over and poured the boy a fresh drink and handed the glass to him, but he wouldn't take it.
Brinn came back over. Agnes put out a hand to him; the other held the tightly balled sodden napkin.
He took her hand. 'I'm going to have to go. You'll be okay? I may be some time.'
She nodded half-heartedly.
'You want me to come with you?'
'Better not. Things aren't going to get any better.' He looked at us again. 'David McGarry has been taken to hospital with a suspected heart attack.'
Agnes slumped back in her seat. Parker was quietly pushing the remains of his dinner around his plate; he looked embarrassed to be there, aware that he was in a unique position of seeing a future prime minister's reaction to a friend's murder but aware that he didn't have the tabloid ignorance to exploit it there and then, where it mattered. But it was all right for Parker. It was all right for Agnes. It was all right for Brinn. They hadn't killed anyone.
Brinn let go of his wife's hand, and marched quickly out into the hall to the waiting Stewart and together they clumped down the varnished wooden stairs.
I went and stood by the window and watched them leave in a green estate car. As they emerged into the traffic two police Land-Rovers joined them, one in front, one behind.
I walked to the other end of the dining room and looked out over the marina. The sky was overcast now and a bit of a wind had gotten up, rattling the masts of the boats.
Behind me Agnes said: 'It never rains but it pours.'
I nodded.
She said: 'They were a lovely family.'
'I know,' I said.
11
Parker realized we were being followed shortly after leaving Red Hall.
I'd told him to stop the car up the road a bit from the Alliance headquarters so that I could use a public phone to call Patricia. I directed him into a shopping centre on the town's ring road and he pulled up in a no-waiting area in front and I hopped out. I found a phone just inside the door but I'd no change so I crossed into a jumble of bric-a-brac market stalls which preceded the main retail area. I stopped at a paperback bookstall and was searching my wallet for some paper money when I noticed a rack of cassette tapes for sale. I still had the tape Margaret had given me in my pocket, so I fished it out and asked the man behind the counter if he was buying.
He eyed the box vaguely, then wrinkled his eyes at it and for me. 'Not much of a demand for crap like that' he said.
'I'm only looking for a pound.'
'Keep looking.'
'50p.'
'Done.'
'You drive a hard bargain,' I said. It was all profit for me, of course. Killer profits from lover's music collection.
I called Patricia at her parents' house. Joe answered the phone. From in-law to outlaw in a matter of hours. No, she wasn't in.
'Uh, Dan, she's out. She went out.'
'You know where?'
'You know her. She doesn't say. Even as a child, Dan -where you going? Don't know. What you doing? Don't know. What you want for dinner? Don't care. Says I, don't care was made to care. Says she, piss off. What can you do?'
'What sort of form's she in?'
'Okay. Bit mopey really. I expect she'll be home to you soon, son.'
I felt a sick chuckle in my throat. Sure, Joe, sure. Home sweet home.
He said: 'You okay, Dan? You sound a bit down
He banged his fist down hard on the table. Several glasses fell over, spilling their contents. Agnes began to half-heartedly dab at the mess with her napkin. Parker helped her.
'I'm very sorry,' Parker said. 'You must have been very close.'
'Very,' Agnes said.
Stewart appeared at the door again and signalled to Brinn to come over.
He stood up and crossed over while Agnes continued mopping up. The boy, neglected through dinner, had woken up as the glasses were knocked over and was now demanding a drink. Agnes ignored him, her eyes glazed, as she worked at the stained tablecloth. Parker reached over and poured the boy a fresh drink and handed the glass to him, but he wouldn't take it.
Brinn came back over. Agnes put out a hand to him; the other held the tightly balled sodden napkin.
He took her hand. 'I'm going to have to go. You'll be okay? I may be some time.'
She nodded half-heartedly.
'You want me to come with you?'
'Better not. Things aren't going to get any better.' He looked at us again. 'David McGarry has been taken to hospital with a suspected heart attack.'
Agnes slumped back in her seat. Parker was quietly pushing the remains of his dinner around his plate; he looked embarrassed to be there, aware that he was in a unique position of seeing a future prime minister's reaction to a friend's murder but aware that he didn't have the tabloid ignorance to exploit it there and then, where it mattered. But it was all right for Parker. It was all right for Agnes. It was all right for Brinn. They hadn't killed anyone.
Brinn let go of his wife's hand, and marched quickly out into the hall to the waiting Stewart and together they clumped down the varnished wooden stairs.
I went and stood by the window and watched them leave in a green estate car. As they emerged into the traffic two police Land-Rovers joined them, one in front, one behind.
I walked to the other end of the dining room and looked out over the marina. The sky was overcast now and a bit of a wind had gotten up, rattling the masts of the boats.
Behind me Agnes said: 'It never rains but it pours.'
I nodded.
She said: 'They were a lovely family.'
'I know,' I said.
11
Parker realized we were being followed shortly after leaving Red Hall.
I'd told him to stop the car up the road a bit from the Alliance headquarters so that I could use a public phone to call Patricia. I directed him into a shopping centre on the town's ring road and he pulled up in a no-waiting area in front and I hopped out. I found a phone just inside the door but I'd no change so I crossed into a jumble of bric-a-brac market stalls which preceded the main retail area. I stopped at a paperback bookstall and was searching my wallet for some paper money when I noticed a rack of cassette tapes for sale. I still had the tape Margaret had given me in my pocket, so I fished it out and asked the man behind the counter if he was buying.
He eyed the box vaguely, then wrinkled his eyes at it and for me. 'Not much of a demand for crap like that' he said.
'I'm only looking for a pound.'
'Keep looking.'
'50p.'
'Done.'
'You drive a hard bargain,' I said. It was all profit for me, of course. Killer profits from lover's music collection.
I called Patricia at her parents' house. Joe answered the phone. From in-law to outlaw in a matter of hours. No, she wasn't in.
'Uh, Dan, she's out. She went out.'
'You know where?'
'You know her. She doesn't say. Even as a child, Dan -where you going? Don't know. What you doing? Don't know. What you want for dinner? Don't care. Says I, don't care was made to care. Says she, piss off. What can you do?'
'What sort of form's she in?'
'Okay. Bit mopey really. I expect she'll be home to you soon, son.'
I felt a sick chuckle in my throat. Sure, Joe, sure. Home sweet home.
He said: 'You okay, Dan? You sound a bit down
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