“So the bastard has a heart after all Why tell me?”
“At approximately ten past eleven somebody put a bullet through his skull. A real pro job. Nice and public, so everyone would get the message.”
“And what message would that be?”
“Toe the Meehan line or else.”
Meehan dusted the face with powder calmly. “I had a funeral this morning,” he said. “Old Marcus the draper. At ten past eleven I was sitting in St. Savior’s listening to the vicar say his piece. Ask Billy – he was with me. Along with around a couple of hundred other people including the mayor. He had a lot of friends had old Mr.. Marcus, but then he was a gentleman. Not many of his kind left these days.”
He brightened the eyebrows and lashes with Vaseline and coloured the lips. The effect was truly remarkable. The woman seemed only to sleep.
Miller said, “I don’t care where you were. It was your killing.”
Meehan turned to face him, wiping his hands on a towel “Prove it,” he said flatly.
All the frustration of the long years, all the anger, welled up in Miller threatening to choke him so that he pulled at his tie, wrenching open his collar.
Til get you for this, Meehan,” he said. TU lay it on you if it’s the last thing I do. This time you’ve gone too far.”
Median’s eyes became somehow luminous, his entire personality assumed a new dimension, power seemed to emanate from him like electricity.
“You – touch me?” He laughed coldly, turned and gestured to the woman. “Look at her, Miller. She was dead. I’ve given her life again. And you think you can touch me?”
Miller took at involuntary step back and Meehan cried, “Go on, get the hell out of it I’
And Miller went as if all the devils in hell had been snapping at his heels.
It was suddenly very quiet in the preparation room. Meehan stood there, chest heaving, and then reached for the tin of vanishing cream and turned to the woman.
“I gave you life again,” he whispered. “Life.”
He started to rub the cream firmly into the body.
6
Face to Face
It was still raining when Fallon crossed Paul’s Square and went up the steps to the main entrance. When he tried the office it was empty and then Rupert appeared, having noticed him arrive through the glass door of the flower shop.
“Can I help you, sir?”
“Fallon’s the name. Meehan’s expecting me.”
“Oh yes, sir.” Rupert was exquisitely polite. “If you’d like to wait in the office I’ll just see where he is.”
He went out and Fallon lit a cigarette and waited. It was a good ten minutes before Rupert reappeared.
Til take you up now, sit,” he said, and with a flashing smile led the way out into the hall.
“And where would up be?” Fallon asked him.
“Mr.. Meehan’s had the attics of the three houses knocked together into a penthouse suite for his personal use. Beautiful.”
They reached a small lift and as Rupert opened the door Fallon said, “Is this the only way?”
“There’s the back stairs.”
“Then the back stairs it is.”
Rupert’s ready smile slipped a little. “Now don’t start to sly games, ducky. It’ll only get Mr.. Meehan annoyed, which means I’ll end up having one hell of a night and to be perfectly frank, I’m not in the mood.”
I’d have thought you’d have enjoyed every golden mo-ment,” Fallon said and kicked him very hard on the right shin.
Rupert cried out and went down on one knee and Fallon took the Ceska out of his right-hand pocket. He had removed the silencer, but it was still a deadly-looking item in every way.
Rupert went white, but he was game to the last.
“He’ll crucify you for this. Nobody mixes it with Jack Meehan and passes the post first.”
Fallon put the Ceska back in his pocket. “The stairs,” he said softly.
“All right,” Rupert leaned down to rub his shin. “It’s your funeral, ducky.”
The stairway started beside the entrance to the Chapel of Rest and they climbed three flights, Rupert leading the way. There was a green bake door at the top and he paused a few steps below. “That leads directly into the kitchen.”