The four men stopped making plans when their pizzas arrived and as soon as they’d wolfed them, Malloch insisted that they go back to his flat with a carry-out to continue their planning in private.
All Allie could do was finish off her own calzone and head back to the horrible hotel. Before she’d even taken off her coat, she picked up the phone and dialled Danny’s room number. When the answering machine kicked in, she spoke tersely. ‘Call me as soon as you get in. I don’t care how late it is.’ She still couldn’t decide whether to applaud him for seizing the moment or berate him for his recklessness. An ‘I’ll show you all’ moment provoked, she was sure, by his anguish at what had passed between him and his mother.
She poured herself a drink and got ready for bed. She picked up her book, but only managed a few pages before sleep overtook her and it slid from her hand.
It was well after midnight when a noise woke Allie. It took her a dazed moment to realise it wasn’t the phone but a knocking on her door. She clambered out of bed, pulling on jeans and sweater, and headed for the door. ‘Who is it?’ she demanded. She might be groggy with sleep but that didn’t mean she had to be stupid too.
‘It’s me, Danny. Open up!’
Allie let him in. He looked frozen, his face pink and pinched with cold. ‘Could you put the kettle on? It’s Baltic out there.’ She followed him in and plugged in the tiny kettle. ‘Jeez, those guys,’ he continued. ‘Talk about “light the blue touch paper and stand well clear.”’
‘I heard most of it. A contact in the IRA? And that Ding-dong? He just came out with it in front of you? When they’d only known you five minutes?’
Danny shrugged. ‘I guess I was convincing. Or they’re so desperate to be the heroes of the revolution that they couldn’t resist the offer of a fighting fund.’ He grinned and sat down at the table, his hands under his armpits.
‘Oh yeah. And where did that come from? I don’t remember us talking about funding a terrorist cell?’ She stared him down. ‘Jeez, Danny.’
He had the grace to look shamefaced. ‘I know. It just felt like too good an opportunity to resist. Allie, this is a great story for us. The inside track on the Scottish Republican Army.’
‘Is that what they’re calling themselves? For God’s sake, Danny.’ Exasperated, she dumped the last remaining teabag in the single mug.
‘They’re not calling themselves anything. Yet. And they seem clear enough about choosing bricks and mortar targets. Avoiding innocent victims.’
Allie poured the boiling water and stirred. ‘All the same. This is a helluva tightrope, Danny. Are we reporters or agents provocateurs? We need to keep our noses clean here.’
‘I know, I know. But we can do that, we can control it.’
She had her doubts. But this wasn’t the time to convince Danny. He was high on the excitement of the story. And probably a few beers too. ‘So what happened when you went back to Deke’s flat?’
Danny pulled a face. ‘God, what a tip. It’s a room and kitchen off Woodlands Road. Sink full of dishes, bin spilling over with lager cans and takeaway cartons. The clothes hanging on the pulley were the only thing that looked like they’d been cleaned since we got bumped out of the World Cup. You know that thing where your shoes stick to the carpet?’
‘Yuck. I have to say, Danny, you don’t get lassies living like that.’
‘Hey, we’re not all like that. That’s not how I live, you’ll see that when you come over to mine.’
It was the first time he’d even hinted at inviting her to his flat. Allie tucked it away to savour later. ‘Never mind the décor. What about the conversation? Last I heard before you all started stuffing your faces was Deke coming back from the phone and saying his cousin was taking the dog for a walk. Was that code, or what?’
Danny laughed. ‘No, his cousin was actually going to take the dog for a walk down to the pierhead to find out what time the ferry goes in the morning. He rang back at Deke’s flat with the details.’
‘They’re going to Belfast? This morning?’ She finished making the tea and plonked it down.
Danny wrapped his long fingers round the mug and smiled. ‘Not all of them. Just Gary. Ding-dong to you. He was adamant he had to go by himself. And I get that. If his pal Terry really is in an IRA Active Service Unit, unlike our three musketeers he’s not going to say word one to a complete stranger. Even if his old pal Gary vouches for him. So Gary’s going across on the morning ferry to see about buying some ordnance from the IRA.’ Danny shook his head, bemused. ‘These guys are absolute bams, Allie.’
‘How are we going to stop them?’ She gave Danny a hard stare. ‘We are going to stop them, Danny, aren’t we?’
‘Sure,’ he said casually. ‘We can work out the details later. We’ll let the cops raid them either when they pick up the explosives or when they’re about to plant them. Obviously we’ll have to tell Angus what’s going on once we’ve got the wheels properly in motion.’
‘Obviously,’ Allie said drily. ‘So when’s Ding-dong debriefing the rest of you?’
‘Sunday morning. There’s a café at St George’s Cross. Apparently does the best fry-up this side of the river. Eleven o’clock, sharp.’
‘I’ll get there early.’
Danny gave her a sidelong glance. ‘I don’t think you should be there. You’ll stand out too much.’
‘That’s not fair. This is my story, I dropped it in your lap. You can’t cut me out of it now.’
‘I’m not cutting you out, no way. I just don’t want to take any risks at this point. They’re all going to be a bit twitchy. All it takes is one of them to recognise you from the meeting or the Spaghetti Factory and the ball’s on the slates.’
‘They’ve never seen me. I’ve sat behind them, both times. And they didn’t even glance at me in the Spaghetti Factory.’
‘You underestimate yourself. You’re a good-looking woman, and I bet Deke checked you out on his way back from the phone. He’s that kind of guy. He was going on and on about the waitress all the way back to his flat. He’ll have given you the once-over. It’s you I’m thinking of.’
‘Me and the story,’ she grumbled, reaching for her cigarettes and lighting up. ‘OK, have it your way.’
He gave her a smile of relief. ‘Can I get a loan of your tape recorder? I can stick it in my coat pocket, they’ll never notice.’
‘If they do, you’re in big trouble, Danny.’
‘I’ll be careful. But I think they’re pretty harmless.’
‘They’re planning a bloody bombing campaign, Danny. They might be ineffectual but they’re not harmless. And if the Irishman is with Gary, do not attempt to record him.’
‘How dumb do you think I am?’ He grinned. ‘No, don’t answer that. Do you want to meet up afterwards?’ She gave him a look that would have withered a patch of brambles. ‘OK, OK, sorry. I’ll call you when I’m done, we can meet up.’
‘I’ll maybe take you up on your offer to inspect your flat,’ Allie said, keeping it light.
‘Not a problem. The cleaner comes on Thursdays so it’s still pretty much pristine.’
‘You’ve got a cleaner?’
He nodded. ‘It’s the best way to keep my mum off my back.’ He spoke without thinking; his words stripped all the comfort from his face again. ‘Not that that matters now.’
‘She’ll come round, Danny. She’ll understand the importance of what you’re doing.’ Allie reached out and covered his hand with hers.
He nodded, unconvinced. He cleared his throat. ‘I better get moving. What time is Angus throwing us to the polis?’
‘We’ve to be in the office at ten.’ She looked at her watch and groaned. ‘Less than eight hours away.’ Allie yawned. ‘Thanks for coming by.’
He gave a bashful smile. ‘Least I could do. It’s your story, Allie. Honest, I haven’t forgotten that.’