Part 33 (1/2)

*That was a bit mercenary.'

*I was a bit thirsty. It isn't the whole story, Doctor. Ask my wife. Sometimes I've to hide my own good nature under the guise of a commercial transaction.' The doctor nodded doubtfully. *Besides, I thought you'd sympathise a particularly if you're drinking that muck Duncan was hiking around last night. It's lethal.'

*Yes. Well. It's an acquired taste.'

*a.r.s.enic is an acquired taste too.' I held up the sheet. *But this, this is a treasure map. Buried in a field, Jack McGettigan's horde of booze. Jesus, there must be tonnes of it.'

Finlay wasn't so sure. He took the letter from me and quickly ran his eyes over it. *Why go to the trouble of burying drink?' he asked. *You'd be better pouring it down the drain.'

*Unless you weren't quite certain about the future and needed something to fall back on. I'm sure Jesus did the odd bit of joinery when the alms collection didn't come up to scratch.'

He sucked in. His eyes closed slightly, letting out only a cool, appraising light. He blew smoke down his nose. *You're very flippant about things, Starkey, aren't you?'

I shrugged. *What can I say? I had the impression first time we met that you were less than devoted to the McCooeys. I didn't think you'd mind.'

*I'm not devoted to the McCooeys. That doesn't mean I'm not devoted to Christine.'

*Of course.' It was becoming a familiar excuse, or defence.

We were both silent for a while. He puffed again. He was thinking. He looked at the letter again, then handed it back to me.

*She was a daft old bird,' he said.

*A blue bird now.'

*Aye.'

*And she enjoyed a drink. You could tell that from looking at her.'

*I suppose she did.'

*But she wasn't a member of your wee group?'

The doctor shook his head. *It was a men's group.'

*But she knew where the booze was hidden, and youse didn't.'

*Well, that remains to be seen.'

*True. And there's only one way to find out.' I waited for him to say something, but he just kept a steady, thoughtful gaze upon me. I said it for him. *We should go take a look. Are you game?'

He s.h.i.+fted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. *The way things are now it would be madness,' he said. *Father White and his crowd are all riled up. We get caught with a load of booze there's no telling what they'll do to us. Look what they tried on Mary Reilly.'

*I asked you if you were game.'

He sniffed up. Took another drag on his cigarette, the last, then threw the b.u.t.t into the sink where it hissed in a soaking cereal bowl. We locked eyes for a long moment, then a tongue darted unconsciously out and licked his lips. His own tongue, of course. It was The Sign. He was hooked.

34.

*I think youse are mad,' Patricia said from the doorway.

The four of us had shovels. Me, Dr Finlay, Duncan Cairns, Willie Nutt. I hadn't met Willie Nutt before. He was small and squat, his hair was close-cropped and he had the jangly eyes of a man who enjoyed living up to his own name. Both names, in fact. He had been responsible for the graffiti at the church. He kept a bottle of the AFLR's poison in his pocket and from time to time took a long slug. It didn't seem to affect him at all. We all refused when he offered it round.

As we climbed into Dr Finlay's Land-Rover, Patricia shook her head again. *What's the point?'

Willie Nutt put his head out of the window. *I haven't had a pint of Harp in eight months,' he said. *That's the point.'

She moved around to the driver's door. *You're only asking for trouble. Doctor a surely you see the stupidity of this.'

Dr Finlay smiled sympathetically. *Of course I do, dear,' he said, and pulled the door shut.

She hurried round the front, catching me as I put one foot into the vehicle. *Dan?'

*What?'

*Promise me one thing.' She grabbed my arm, then brushed her lips across my cheek.

*What?'

*If you find it, the drink, don't bring it all back here. We're in enough trouble.'

*I'm not stupid, Patricia.'

*Well, what do you intend to do with it?'

*Drink it, of course.'

*Every last drop,' said Willie Nutt, laughing.

*This isn't funny,' said Patricia.

Finlay started the engine. I gave my wife a loving shrug, then looked at my companions. With the doors closed and the windows up, I became suddenly aware of a strange, unappetising smell.

Finlay kept the lights off. The moon winked out from between storm clouds as we b.u.mped carefully along the lane. The b.u.mps could have been potholes or rabbit skulls. Willie Nutt sat in the back beside Duncan, softly laughing to himself and sipping.

*Is he wise?' I whispered to the doctor.

*Wise enough.' He looked up at Willie in the mirror.

Willie caught his eye, leant forward. *I've betrayed Christine,' he said.

I looked at him. I didn't know what to say.

*I'm Judas,' he said.

I looked at him still.