32

This was Young’s idea. Jamieson doesn’t want to meet Deana Burke. A traitor’s woman. A woman who knew what her man was up to. Frankly, she has no right asking for their help. Jamieson thinks she has a brass neck you couldn’t mark with a fucking blowtorch. But he can see the benefit of playing her. Young’s got her set up nicely. She’s in contact with Fisher, and Young and Nate Colgan have persuaded her that Shug was responsible for what happened to Kenny. So they play her and she helps them get what they want. Blindly feeding misinformation back to Fisher. But it doesn’t mean he’s going to enjoy this. She’s due at the club in ten minutes. He called her, spoke to her. Told her how concerned he was. Concerned about what happened to Kenny. About what might happen to her. Told her he wanted to do whatever he could to help. Asked her to come round. Said he thought it might benefit them both to talk face-to-face.

He’s taking a small glass of whiskey. Just a small one. It’ll help him to control his temper with her. When she comes in here and starts playing the grieving widow. Starts saying what a tragedy it was. At some point she’ll say what a good man Kenny was, and Jamieson will have to agree. Pouring a second glass. Going to need it. Can’t say what a good man Kenny was without sounding sarcastic. Not stone-cold sober anyway. Not in this mood. Might have been able to, if it wasn’t for Calum. Another little bastard. Couple of glasses might not be enough. No more–if he takes a third he’ll get a dirty look from John Young. Make sure he can speak soberly. She has to find him convincing. He has to be the tough but tender boss of a major organization. Has to convince her he’s a man to listen to. Persuade her, so that you don’t have to force her.

She’s early. Of course she is. Kenny’s woman was never going to be anything less than a royal pain in the arse. Young’s gone downstairs to meet her at the door, bring her up. Show her some sympathy. He’s good at that sort of thing. He’ll be leading her through the snooker room, down the corridor to the office. She’ll be getting herself ready for a performance. That’s what it is, Jamieson thinks. A performance. She can’t really care this much. Or can she? Maybe she actually did love the back-stabbing little piece of shit. More fool her, if she did. But she probably didn’t. Young’s gone through her back-story with Jamieson. The guys she was with before Kenny. All in the business. No, not love. Convenience. She wanted a man in the business. Someone making reasonable money. Someone who could give her a comfortable life. She just picked the wrong someone this time.

The office door’s opening. Young holding it open for Deana Burke to enter. She’s wearing a tight black skirt, thin grey cardigan over a black top. With her dark hair tied back and minimal make-up, she’s making a good job of looking bereft. Also making a good job of looking appealing. Jamieson’s on his feet and walking towards her. How the hell Kenny McBride managed to get this woman to live with him is anyone’s guess. She looks hard, but pretty. Thirty-four, Young said she was. Looks a little younger. Doesn’t look girlish, but that’s a good thing. She must be a complete idiot. That’s what Jamieson’s thinking to himself as he’s walking towards her. No way a woman like her in a business like this goes with a guy like Kenny unless she’s plain dumb. She could do so much better. If she was smart, she would know that.

He’s reaching down a little and hugging her. Not tight, doesn’t want her to think he’s making a play. Taking a step back.

‘Deana. It’s good to see you. I wish it were under different circumstances. Please, come and sit down. There’s a lot we should talk about.’

She’s walking across to the couch with him. Trying to look demure, but making a piss-poor job of it. She has too much self-confidence to look retiring.

‘I was glad you called,’ she’s saying. ‘It’s important to me that I know what happened to Kenny. And it’s important to me that I know something is done about it.’

Quite a harsh voice, but she sounds bright. Kenny must have been a man of hidden talents.

‘And that’s what I want to talk to you about. I know this must be incredibly difficult for you. I think you probably know now that Kenny’s dead,’ he’s saying, looking her straight in the eye. ‘It can be hard to accept that without a body. Without a funeral. But we know from contacts that Shug organized the killing. We can’t confirm the killing. Only the killer could do that, and we haven’t got to him yet. But we can assume it happened. With that in mind, we now have to move on quickly and aggressively. And I believe you can help us there.’

She likes what she’s hearing. Likes the tone. He’s laying the business detail out for her. Not holding back on the fact that Kenny is dead. Not trying to spread false hope. But he’s offering her the revenge she craves.

‘And I want to help.’ Say nothing more. Don’t throw yourself at the situation. People like Jamieson will use you if you let them. They’ll push you further than you want to go. She won’t get emotional either, because that’s not who she is.

‘We haven’t got to the killer yet,’ Jamieson’s saying, ‘but we believe we know who he is. I don’t know if you’ve heard of Des Collins?’

She’s thinking about it. Trying to remember if Kenny ever mentioned such a person. ‘No, I don’t think so.’

‘Well, he’s a gunman. We believe he’s the gunman who killed Kenny.’

He’s letting that sit for a few seconds. Let the name of Des Collins settle in her consciousness before he mentions anyone else. And Jamieson’s still trying to figure out her motivations. Maybe it is justice, of a sort. Hard to see how she thinks she can make any money out of this–unless she’s just that smart. Jesus, surely not. If she is, then she’s a remarkable woman. If she worked out what Jamieson and Young would try to do and played them. Let them have their way, knowing a financial offer would eventually be part of it. Let them feed info through her. Nah, she couldn’t have worked that out. And if she had, she still wouldn’t take the risk. Not after what Kenny did. But it’s a hell of a thought, isn’t it? That she worked out what they would do before they knew it themselves. Played along, waiting patiently for the pay-off that’s about to be offered for the help she’s given them.

‘Kenny didn’t mention that anyone was in touch with him, did he?’ Jamieson’s asking. ‘Anyone that might have been working for Shug. Pretending they were someone else.’

‘Not that I know,’ she’s saying with a shake of the head. ‘Why? Was someone?’

‘We don’t know, but it might have been something they did. We’ve found it very difficult to work out where they picked Kenny up that night. Somewhere between him dropping off… his colleague, and getting home. You see, they did a job that night. Not a big one, in all honesty. Just starting something. It needed a driver who knew the area. It wasn’t an especially big deal in itself, but the target was bigger than usual. You see, Shug has an alliance with Alex MacArthur. You’ve heard of MacArthur?’

‘Yes, of course.’ Everyone’s heard of MacArthur.

‘Well, Shug’s gone under his wing for protection. The job Kenny was working on that night was pretty insignificant, except for that the fact that it was against MacArthur. Well, Shug and MacArthur.’

He said it in such a contrite way. Impossible for her not to realize what he’s implying. Saying that Shug killed Kenny because of that job. That it wasn’t random. They didn’t just go for him because he worked for Jamieson. They went for him because of that specific job Jamieson sent him on. She’s nodding slightly, not realizing she’s doing it. It makes more sense. Makes it more certain, somehow.

‘So what happens next?’ she’s asking.

‘Collins has gone to ground,’ Jamieson’s saying. ‘Gunmen do, after a job. Our job is to find him. When we do, well, you can probably work the rest out. We will punish him for what he did. But he’s only part of this. Shug and MacArthur, they can’t go to ground. They have to be visible or they lose everything. That’s where you can play a role. I want you to go to the police and report Kenny missing. We already know there’s a detective looking for him–guy called Fisher. Try and talk to him, if you can. Point him in the direction of Collins. He’ll find his own way to Shug and MacArthur from there. The police pressure on them will give us our opportunity.’

Young’s sitting on the chair three feet away, stifling a smile. Jamieson is good. Damned good. He can go long spells without seemingly making any impact on the running of his own organization. Then the time comes for someone to step up. To deliver something difficult. He’s always the man for the job. Always. He was so convincing about Fisher. Has been so convincing about Kenny. Good actors are dangerous. Now comes the money part.

‘Listen, Deana, I want to talk to you about something sensitive,’ Jamieson’s saying. ‘More so.’ Said with a smile, a hand gently across the back of her hand to stop her getting up. She thought this was over. ‘I know losing Kenny must have been a shock to you. I can’t even imagine how you’re coping so well. But there is going to be an issue with money. I know that you and he weren’t married, and I’m concerned that might complicate things for you. I know you’ll be reluctant, but I want you to accept a payment from us. Not a loan, and not charity. Don’t think of it like that. Kenny was working for us. If he hadn’t been, he would still be alive today. That’s worth something to me. And it’s important to me that you accept it.’

She’s gone now. Sashaying out of the office. They didn’t discuss numbers, but she accepted the offer. She put up a little token resistance at first, as good form dictates. But she took it. She was always going to take it. She won’t get the money until after her meeting with Fisher. It’s payment for telling Fisher what Jamieson wants him to hear, and she must know it. Young’s coming back into the office after escorting her out.

‘Went well, I thought,’ he’s saying when the door’s shut. ‘She’ll definitely take Collins and MacArthur to Fisher.’

‘Uh-huh,’ Jamieson’s nodding. Not looking terribly convinced.

‘What’s up?’

‘She’s a lot smarter than she’s let on. Letting people think of her as the wee woman, out for revenge. It’s bullshit. She might not think we killed Kenny, but she knows not to trust us. Oh, she’s sharp enough. We need to watch her closely.’

‘Not for long,’ Young’s saying. ‘We’re nearly done. Shug will be done inside the day. We’re halfway through this Calum thing. It’s going to work out fine.’

Jamieson’s looking at him, raising an eyebrow. Saying nothing. If you have nothing polite to say, say nothing.