Chapter 71
GOBBY LITTLE SHITE
Staying cool, despite his heart thundering and his balls shriveling, Don Wilks said, “Where are you off to, Faultless?”
Faultless stopped and stared at him.
Wilks stared right back, although he was a bundle of nerves.
Why the fuck was Faultless still alive? Had Graveney fucked up? Or perhaps the moron had decided to delay the hit.
Then Faultless looked away and started walking again.
Wilks crawled alongside him, leaning out of the driver’s side window.
“I’m just asking, Charlie. Where are you off to?”
“A stroll,” said Faultless.
Pulling himself together, Wilks said, “Don’t stroll too far, son.”
“I wouldn’t want to be too far away from you. You’re electric.”
Wilks laughed. It was all right. If Faultless had got away from Graveney, at least he had no idea that Wilks had set him up. Or he gave nothing away if he did know.
Cool little bastard, thought Wilks and said, “Still got that mouth on you.”
“Yeah, still got that.”
“Big time writer, gobby little shit.”
“That’s me.”
He was dying to ask Faultless if he’d had a run in with Graveney. But that was out of order. He’d give himself away. This bastard would smell a rat and suspect Wilks of being up to no good. Instead, he carried on winding Faultless up.
“Do all those poncy writer people you mix with know you were a lousy little yob, Faultless?”
“They know, Don.”
“They like it, do they? Having a bad lad around. You get to shag all those posh birds, do you?”
“Yeah, that’s right. I shag ‘em all.”
“Bet your mum would be proud, eh?”
Faultless stopped dead and glared at Wilks, who braked.
Faultless said, “You done with me?”
“For now, son. For now.” He thought for a few seconds and then added, “We’d like a word about Tony Graveney, though. You’ve not seen his brother, have you?”
“Should I have, Wilks?”
Wilks felt himself redden. He tried to stem the blood flowing into his cheeks, but preventing it was impossible. He just smiled a big, red-faced smile instead.
“I just like having you around, Charlie boy. It reminds me of the good old days, that’s all. Stay close, son.”
Wilks sped off. The smile turned into a scowl and the beginnings of a headache pulsed in his temples.
And when he got back to the incident room, his indignation scaled new heights.