The Drop

know. He frowned, ‘Cartwright’s not the kind of bloke who would steal from a man like Mahoney, for what that’s worth, so I doubt he’s gone voluntary like.’
    I took a risk then, without really knowing why.
    ‘He didn’t,’ I said, ‘he’s dead.’
    ‘Jesus,’ the big man seemed affected by that news. He would have known Cartwright well, ‘and you don’t know who’s done it?’
    I shook my head and waited. The look on his face told me there was something.
    ‘It might be nowt.’
    ‘Go on.’ I urged him.
    ‘One of my boys was out a few weeks back and he saw Cartwright in a bar in the Bigg Market. He was talking to an Ivan.’ So someone else had seen them.
    ‘A Russian? Was he sure?’
    ‘Well my son doesn’t speak the language but yeah he reckoned it was a Russian. I s’pose he could have been from anywhere round there. Anyway he was a big fucker apparently, looked like he was in the business.’
    What had George Cartwright been up to? ‘Thanks,’ I said, ‘it might be something,’
    ‘Yeah, well, that’s for you. I wouldn’t tell Bobby fuck all but you were alright, even when me and Bobby had that row.’
    ‘That was between you two. It was none of my business.’
    ‘I know but the rest of the crew treated me like I’d shagged their sisters after that. And that cunt Finney… ’ he froze then as if he suddenly realised Bobby wouldn’t send me down here without some muscle to back me up, ‘he’s not out there is he?’ his eyes narrowed, ‘because if he is he can come in here now and I’ll show him who’s the real hard man.’
    ‘I don’t doubt it,’ I said, ‘which is why I told him to wait in the car. Just leave it Joe. I know you hate him but I haven’t got time for that right now.’
    Remember when you were a kid and you used to play that game with your mates where you’re wondering if Superman could fight Captain Marvel or who would win between Godzilla and King Kong? Well, there is not a man in Bobby’s firm who hasn’t silently wondered who would win if Finney and Kinane came to serious blows. I feel certain whoever finally lost that one would be a dead man and the other wouldn’t be fit for anything much afterwards.
    I changed the subject, ‘tell me about your boy, your youngest. I hear he’s in some bother.’
    As I’d hoped, this took his mind off what he’d like to do to Finney. ‘GBH,’ he said simply.
    ‘Chip off the old block.’
    ‘I tell him not to get involved but some big tosser had a few drinks and fancied himself. Our Gary broke his jaw, a couple of ribs and an arm. He’s in court next month.’
    ‘I’ve got some bent law working for me. I’ll get him to do some digging on the other bloke if you give me a name. By the time he’s finished, your innocent victim will be lucky to escape jail time he’ll look so crooked.’ I took a business card out of my wallet and gave it to him, ‘a friendly solicitor, very clever. She’ll make it look like the most honourable case of self-defence the jury can imagine. Give her a call.’
    ‘Thanks Davey,’ he said.
    ‘But this is on me,’ I warned him, ‘if Bobby ever finds out I’m using a family lawyer to help your boy, I’ll be in the shit, so it goes no further, you hear.’
    ‘Yeah, cheers man,’ he pocketed the card gratefully and to my surprise he handed me a cheap business card with the name of the Gym and a boxing glove on it and his mobile number underneath. ‘When you hear what happened to Geordie Cartwright. Let me know like,’ I assured him I would.
    As I was leaving he said, ‘don’t trust Finney, he’s a snake that one. He might look dumb but he’s not. He’s clever, in his own way, sneaky like.’
    I smiled, ‘I don’t trust anyone.’
    It had been worth it to come here. Hearing it from Billy was one thing. He could have been wrong, pissed, high or just plain lying to me but now we’d got it from two sources. We’d had two definite sightings of Cartwright in a pub discussing business with a foreigner. What was going on? What the fuck was Geordie Cartwright doing talking to a Russian in the Bigg Market?

THIRTEEN
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    ‘H e mention me?’ asked Finney when I climbed back into the car.
    ‘Nope.’
    ‘Good job an’ all,’ he said, turning the key in the ignition and revving the car for no good reason. ‘Where next?’
    ‘The accountant’s.’
    ‘I hate that slippery fucker.’
    ‘Me too,’ I said.
    ‘He