Solo - Jack Higgins [60]
'Exactly.' Morgan took careful aim and shot off part of Jago's left ear.
Jago fell back against the Rolls, clutching the side of his head, blood pouring between his fingers.
Arnold ran forward and grabbed him by the lapels. Tell him, Harvey, for God's sake. He's a madman, this one. He'll have us all.'
'All right! All right!' Jago said and the essential toughness of the man was still there, in spite of the pain. 'Okay, here's how it was. Hymie Goldman supplied those Micks in Ulster with the two Mausers amongst other things. Then a couple of weeks ago he was sitting in here checking stock on his own. What we call special stock. He always does that on Wednesday night. Next thing he knows, this geezer in a balaclava appears from the shadows. Drops him a grand in old notes in an envelope and asks for a silenced handgun. Says a friend recommended him.'
'And?'
'Hymie still had one of those silenced Mausers left. He gave it to him with a box of ammo and he was away.'
'I see.' Morgan raised the Walther. 'I think I'll have the right ear this time.'
'I'm telling you the truth, I swear it,' Jago cried and for the first time there was real panic in his voice.
Morgan lowered the Walther. 'Yes, I'm afraid you are from the sound of it.' He looked across at Ford, lying back, mouth gaping, one leg propped up on the packing case. 'I don't know what you'll do with him, but I imagine you have your ways.'
He walked to the door. As he opened the judas, Jago said, 'I'll have you, Morgan. I'll have you for this.'
Morgan turned. 'No,' he said softly. 'I don't think you will. I think you'll find on sober reflection, Mr Jago, that the best thing to do is put it all down to experience and forget it.'
The door closed behind him. They heard the engine start, the Porsche move away.
The side of Jago's head, his hand and shoulder, were saturated in blood, but he was still in control.
'Harvey?' Arnold said, trembling with fright.
'It's all right. Get Doc Jordan on the phone. Tell him I've had an accident. We'll meet him at that private nursing home in Bailey Street.'
Arnold glanced across at Andy Ford. 'And him?'
'Just another drunken little Jock gone missing. Ring Sam at the club. Tell him I want the recovery team round here fast. I want this place clean by morning. They can dump him in the new Hendon bypass. There's five hundred tons of wet concrete a night pumping into those foundations. Thank God for progress. Now, help me into the car. You'll have to drive.'
Arnold did as he was told. 'I'm sorry, Harvey.' He was almost in tears.
'Never mind, Arnold. He was right. Put it all down to experience and forget it.'
He patted his brother on the cheek and fainted.
When they reached Douro Place, Morgan switched off the engine and turned to face her.
'I'm sorry about that.'
'No, you're not,' she said. 'You're a driven man, Asa, I see that now. You'll do anything to reach this mythical goal of yours. Pull anyone down with you as you nearly pulled me down tonight. And to what end? Are you any further forward?'
'No.'
'I've had it. You're too rich for my blood. I'm going straight in to pack and then I'm driving back to Cambridge - tonight.'
'If you're worried about what happened back there, don't be. The last thing Jago wants is police nosing around.'
'You mean he'll have no trouble disposing of the body? For God's sake, Asa, does that make it all right?'
She got out of the car and slammed the door. He stayed behind the wheel and pressed the button so that the that the electrically operated window slid down silently.
'I'm sorry, girl,' he said. 'But I've no choice, see?'
He started the engine and drove away. She stood there for quite a while, listening to the sound of the Porsche fade, then slowly, wearily, she went up the steps, fumbled for her key and got the door open.
10
It was raining heavily in the first grey light of dawn as Seumas Keegan went up the path to the back door of the cottage two miles outside Ballymena