Page 54 of Hang on St. Christopher

“Hello, Harkness, my old friend,” I said.

“Friendis coming it a bit strong, is it not, Duffy?”

“What can I do for you, Daniel?”

“Duffy, it’s more what I can do for you.”

“Oh, yeah, and what can you do for me?”

“What is it that you want, Duffy?”

“To time-travel back to 1974 and consider an entirely different career for myself?”

“Nah, what you want, Duffy, is a quiet life.”

“Is that what I want, Dan? And I suppose you’re going to tell me how I can go about achieving that?”

“Aye, I can.”

“Go on, then. I’m all ears.”

“How about, for one thing, you stop going over the border without permission from your superiors? How about, for two, you stop going over the border and liaising with Republic of Ireland police officers without permission? How about, for three, you don’t stick your nose into Special Branch territory, nosing around serious fucking players like Brendan fucking O’Roarke? Maybe if you did all of that, people like me wouldn’t be tempted to take a crap on you from a great height, eh?”

“Is this an official warning, then?”

“No, this isn’t a warning, Duffy. This is just a friendly wee chat, that’s all.”

“In that case, I have to go, mate. I’m a detective on a case and I’m very bloody busy and don’t really have time for friendly wee chats,” I said, and hung up and walked onto the porch to look at the lightning.

I sipped the vodka gimlet, and behind me the phone rang again. It rang and rang, and eventually I had to pick it up.

“What is it now?” I asked.

Static down the line for a moment before Lawson came on. “Oh, sir! I’m so glad I reached you. I tried calling you at the office, but you were out all day.”

“Lawson! Where are you?”

“Tenerife, sir. In, uhm, Spain, sir.”

“I am aware where Tenerife is. Why are you trying to reach me?”

“Well, sir, I’ve heard the news!”

“What news?”

“There’s been a murder in Carrickfergus!”

“Murders have been happening in Carrickfergus since the suspicious death of Fergus Mor Mac Erc fifteen hundred years ago.”

“Well, yes... but...”

“But what, Lawson?”

“I was wondering if you wanted me to fly home early. I could do that if you needed me to. The chief inspector called me, and he said I should call you.”

“The chief inspector called you?”

“Yes, sir.”

---