Crags were glaring down at him. He rattled the Tegretol in his pocket and took a swig of lager. Jeanie’s ears pricked up at the noise from his pocket, then she lost interest when he pulled an empty hand out.
‘Indeed,’ Price said. ‘She is providing an alibi for Dean Whitehouse for the time of Jamie Mackie’s shooting.’
‘Makes sense, the two seem almost inseparable.’
‘And yet you’ve managed to get Adele on her own, haven’t you?’
Billy paused.
‘Your interview in the Evening Standard ?’
‘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
‘Indeed,’ Price said. ‘She is providing an alibi for Dean Whitehouse for the time of Jamie Mackie’s shooting.’
‘Makes sense, the two seem almost inseparable.’
‘And yet you’ve managed to get Adele on her own, haven’t you?’
Billy paused.
‘Your interview in the Evening Standard ?’
‘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
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