The Drop

recognition. Instead he gave us a questioning look.
    ‘Someone’s coming after me and mine, Arthur,’ said Bobby, ‘and I need to know it’s not you, not over the phone but face-to-face, man-to-man. I want you to look me in the eye and tell me it’s not you Arthur. Or you can tell me that it is you, then we’ll both know where we stand.’
    ‘Tommy,’ said Arthur, ‘go to the bar and get me two glasses of that single malt from Oban.’ Tommy Gladwell looked less than thrilled to be fetching Bobby his drink but he went anyway. We watched him trudge over to the bar and order and we waited for Arthur to say something.
    ‘We’ve known each other for a long time Bobby,’ he said finally, ‘we’ve had our differences over the years, no one would deny that. I wouldn’t call us friends but I’d say we respect each other. I’ve heard about your troubles - but I’m not the cause of them.’
    Gladwell junior returned with the glasses and handed one to Bobby who took it silently. Arthur raised his own glass to Bobby’s, they clinked them together and each took an appreciative sip, ‘I don’t want to go to war with you,’ said Arthur, ‘just as you don’t want to go to war with me. I’m too old and too busy with my own patch. This city is full of Jack-the-lads, all flexing their muscles because they want a piece of what I’ve got. They all want to be Top Boy and I get no rest ‘cos I’ve got to keep putting them back in their place. I think you understand that.’ Bobby’s eyes narrowed in recognition. Arthur took another sip of his malt, ‘I don’t have to swear on the lives of my grandchildren Bobby but I will if it will make you feel better.’
    ‘No Arthur, you’re telling me it isn’t so and that’s good enough for me.’
    ‘Good,’ said Arthur Gladwell, ‘now why don’t you join us for a drink, your boys too of course.’
    ‘Thanks Arthur. I appreciate the invitation but I’ll leave you to your family. It’s time we were heading back.’ And he drained the last dregs of the malt and handed the empty glass back to Tommy Gladwell, who took it meekly enough, though he looked like he’d rather have seen it hit the floor. Bobby and Arthur Gladwell shook hands and, at the last moment, Tommy Gladwell tried to shake Bobby’s hand but Bobby was already turning his back. I don’t think he was snubbing the bloke deliberately but Bobby was the kind of man who wouldn’t have given a toss either way. As Bobby turned away there was an awkward moment where Tommy had his hand outstretched and there was no one there to shake it. I didn’t want him to look like a complete tosser so I leaned forward, shook his hand and said, ‘hope your mother has a great night.’
    When we were back in the train Bobby said, ‘how has he heard about my troubles?’
    ‘Eh?’ asked Finney.
    ‘I said, how does he know about my troubles?’
    ‘I dunno,’ answered Finney. He seemed a little perturbed to be asked the question. I kept silent, assuming it was rhetorical.
    We had the first class carriage to ourselves, except for a business type who was busy reading his paper.
    ‘What did you think about that Davey?’ Bobby asked me.
    ‘Well, he’s saying it has nowt to do with him and I tend to believe it.’
    ‘You believe that fucking snake,’ said Jerry Lemon, ‘he’d grass on his own grandma if it suited him.’
    ‘And so would we,’ I reminded him, ‘I don’t know, I may be wrong but my instinct says it isn’t Arthur Gladwell. He doesn’t want a war right now. In fact it’s the last thing he needs, though… ’
    ‘What?’ asked Bobby
    ‘He didn’t say anything about Stone, when you showed him the picture. He didn’t say a word.’
    ‘Well, he would know him, a professional operator on his patch,’ said Bobby.
    ‘Yeah but he didn’t deny using him, he didn’t ask you what any of this had to do with him, he just didn’t say anything.’
    ‘So what you’re saying is, you don’t know if it’s him or not?’ challenged Jerry Lemon.
    ‘Yes, that’s right Jerry, that’s exactly what I’m saying.’
    ‘Then going up there was a complete waste of time,’ added Jerry.
    ‘No it wasn’t!’ snapped Bobby, ‘if it was him, he knows we are on to him and he’s been warned off. If it wasn’t, well he knows we don’t fuck about down here, we come up and confront people if we think they are taking the piss, so him and his boys will know that too, for future reference.’
    ‘Sorry