As he neared his destination, he took out his wallet and checked the contents. Four pounds and a little silver and he was already two weeks behind with his rent: He went into a cheap wine shop for some cigarettes then crossed the road to Hanger Street.
The newspaperman on the corner had deserted his usual pitch to shelter in a doorway from the driving rain. He was little more than a bundle of rags, an old London-Irishman, totally blind in one eye and only partially sighted in the other.
Fallon dropped a coin in his hand and took a paper. “Good night to you, Michael,” he said.
The old man rolled one milky white eye towards him, his hand fumbling for change in the bag which hung about his neck.
Is it yourself, Mr.. Fallon?”
“And who else? You can forget the change.”
The old man grabbed his hand and counted out his change laboriously. “You had visitors at number thirteen about twenty minutes ago.”
“The law?” Fallon asked softly.
“Something in uniform. They went in and didn’t come out again. Two cars waiting at the other end of the street – another across the road.”
He counted a final penny into Felon’s hand. Fallon turned and crossed to the telephone-box on the other corner. He dialed the.number of the lodging-house and was answered instant% by the old woman who ran the place. He pushed in the coin and spoke.
“Mrs. Keegan Pit’s Daly here. I wonder if you’d mind doing me a favour?”
He knew at once by the second’s hesitation, by the strain in her voice, that old Michael’s supposition had been correct.
“Oh, yes, Mr.. Daly.”
“The thing is, I’m expecting a phone call at nine o’clock. Take the number and tell them I’ll ring back when I get in. I haven’t a hope in hell of getting there now. I ran into a couple of old friends and we’re having a few drinks. You know how it is?”
There was another slight pause before she said as if in response to some invisible prompt, “Sounds nice. Where are you?”
“A pub called The Grenadier Guard in Kensington High Street I’ll have to go now. See you later.”
He replaced the receiver, left the phone-box and moved into a doorway from which he had a good view of No. “I3 halfway down the short street.
A moment later, the front door was flung open. There were eight of them. Special Branch from the look of it. The first one on to the pavement waved frantically and two cars moved out of the shadows at the end of the street. The whole crew climbed inside, the cars moved away at speed. A car which was parked at the kerb on the other side of the main road went after them.
Fallon crossed to the corner and paused beside the old newspaper seller. He took out his wallet, extracting the four remaining pound notes and pressed them into his hand.
“God bless you, Mr.. Fallon,” Michael said, but Fallon was already on the other side of the road, walking rapidly back towards the river.
This time Kristou didn’t hear a thing although he had been waiting for something like an hour, nerves taut. He sat there at the table, ledger open, the pen gripped tightly in his mittened hand. There was the softest of footfalls, wind over grass only, then the harsh, deliberate click as the hammer of the Browning was cocked.
Kristou breathed deeply to steady himself. “What’s the point, Martin?” he said. “What would it get you?”
Fallon moved round to the other side of the table, the Browning in his hand. Kristou stood up, leaning on the table to stop from shaking.
“I’m the only friend you’ve got left now, Martin.”
“You bastard,” Fallon said. “You sicked the Special Branch on to me.”
“I had to,” Kristou said frantically. It was the only way I could get you back here. It was for your own good, Martin.
You’ve been like a dead man walking. I can bring you back to life again. Action and passion, that’s what you want. That’s what you need.”
Felon’s eyes were like black holes in the white face. He raised the Browning at arm’s length, touching the muzzle between Kristou’s eyes.