Widows

‘You seen how many times she goes to the hairdressers? No? The bank? How many times has she lost you, Fuller? Andrews?’ Fuller and Andrews didn’t answer. At least Andrews had the decency to look ashamed; Fuller just looked bored. ‘Do you think she’s playing games, Andrews, or do you think she’s up to something?’

‘I wouldn’t know, sir.’

‘No, you wouldn’t, you soft—’ Resnick was too tired to abuse Andrews anymore today. ‘Here’s another one you won’t know the answer to: is she very good at losing police tails, or are you all shit at tailing? Guess we’ll never know, eh?’

Resnick lit up a cigarette and inhaled deeply. Fuller winced and started to open the window as the smoke wafted round the inside of the car. ‘Close it,’ Resnick barked. ‘It’s cold in the back.’

The brakes slammed on; the car came to a quick stop. Resnick’s papers fell to the floor and he glared at Fuller.

‘Regent’s Park, as you requested... sir,’ Fuller said, knowing how to get under Resnick’s skin.

Resnick picked up the papers, stuffed them in his briefcase and opened the car door. He took one last look at his ‘best men’ — Fuller was staring straight ahead with a stupid grin on his face, while Andrews was yawning. God, what a dozy pair of buggers, he thought as he slammed the car door shut. Maybe he’d strike it lucky with Green Teeth. He certainly needed some good news today.

Resnick made his way into the park and sat on a bench, eating his sandwich, the first thing he’d had to eat all day. He gazed, mesmerized, at the branches swaying in the trees; he was so tired. He knew that Green Teeth would have watched him arrive and would come out of hiding and join him on the bench when he was ready.

True enough, once Fuller and Andrews were out of sight, Green Teeth sidled up to Resnick with all the subtlety of a caped TV villain. Like a starving dog, he sat staring at the sandwich. Resnick handed the remainder of his food over and then had to wait for Green Teeth to stop stuffing his face before he spoke.

‘What’s so important?’ Resnick asked eventually.

‘There’s a rumor, Mr. Resnick, spreading like the clappers.’ Green Teeth mumbled, spitting crumbs all over Resnick’s coat. He moved away and lit a cigarette. ‘The rumor is about Harry Rawlins.’

‘Well, I should bloody well hope it is.’ Resnick brushed wet cheese and bread from his coat.

‘If someone got hold of his ledgers it’d be like having Aladdin’s bleedin’ lamp... know what I mean?’

‘Who’s got them?’

‘The man himself. Harry Rawlins.’

Resnick tutted. ‘Have I come all this way just to hear that load of old bollocks?’

‘No, he was serious.’ Green Teeth insisted.

‘How the bloody hell do you get hold of information like that?’ Resnick barked, furious. ‘You’re not in Harry Rawlins’s league, mate! Even if it was true, that kind of information doesn’t make its way to you!’

‘Boxer Davis is flashing tenners round the manor and shooting his mouth off. He’s even wearing Harry’s gear.’

Resnick’s eyes narrowed — Boxer Davis was certainly more in Green Teeth’s league. It was possible he might have heard something after all.

‘Boxer worked for Harry for years, and he’s telling people that he’s working for him again.’

Resnick flicked his cigarette onto the grass and started to walk away.

‘Hold up!’ Green Teeth shouted, chasing after him and grabbing his arm.

Resnick pulled sharply away. ‘I don’t pay for rumors. And don’t paw my coat. Look at that — you gobbed cheese on me as well! You should be paying me to fumigate my sodding clothes.’

Green Teeth sniffed and picked bread out of his teeth. Resnick handed him a fiver and headed back to the car.

As Fuller slowed down by the main gates on his third loop of the park, he spotted Resnick pissing behind a tree.

‘Look at that,’ Fuller said in disgust. ‘How am I ever going to get promoted when I have to rely on that for a reference?’

Resnick walked toward the car, wiping his hands on the arse of his trousers and lighting another cigarette. Andrews laughed.

‘Now he’s going to sit his pissy backside on your nice clean seats and smoke in your face.’

But Resnick was very subdued when he got back into the car. ‘Green Teeth reckons Boxer Davis is suddenly very flush. He’s spreadin’ it around town that he’s working for...’ He paused briefly and thought about what Green Teeth had told him ‘Ah, well — forget it. It’s gotta be a load of bollocks anyway.’

‘Why do you doubt the information?’ Fuller asked. He was pleased that the information was bollocks, but was still desperate to know what it was so he could add it to his list of Resnick’s cock-ups.

Resnick sighed. ‘He’s bloody rapping on about working for Harry Rawlins.’

Andrews rubbed his head. ‘What? Green Teeth is working for Rawlins?’

Resnick snorted and spat his cigarette butt out the window. ‘Not Green Teeth! Boxer Davis, you idiot! Apparently, Boxer’s flouncing round dressed in one of Harry’s expensive suits and a pair of his shoes. And he’s got a few bob to throw about from somewhere.’