“That’s her, Pat,” the one wearing a baseball cap said. “That’s her. The Ryan bitch from the’cafe.”
“I can tell for myself, you fool,” the one called Pat said.”Now hold still and grab her on the way past.” KATHLEEN R. YAN WAS TOTALLY UNAWARE OF their existence as they stayed back in the shadows. It was only the quick rush of feet that aleed her and by then it was too late, one arm arounder neck half choking her.
Pat walked round in front and tilted her chin.
“Well, now, what have we got here? A little Prod bitch. Ryan, isn’t it?”
She kicked back catching the youth in the baseball cap on the shin. “Leave me be, you Taig bastard.”
“Taig bastard is it,” Pat said. “And us’decent Catholic boys!” He slapped her face. “Up the alley with her. Time she learned her manners.”
She didn’t scream, for it was not in her nature, but
cried out in rage and bit the hand that fastened on her mouth.
“Bitch!” Baseball Cap called out and punched her in the back, and then they ran her along the alley through the rain. There was a stack of packing cases clear under an old-fashioned gas street lamp. As she struggled, two of them pulled her icross a packing case and Pat moved up behind and racked her skirt up.
“Time you learned,” he said.
“No, time you learned!” a voice called. Pat turned and Martin Keogh walked up the alley, hands in the pockets of his reefer. “Put her down. I mean, she doesn’t know where you’ve been, does she?”
…. Stuff you wee man,” the one in the baseball cap said, released his hold on the girl, and swung a punch at Keogh, who caught the wrist, twisted, and ran him face first into the wall.
“You bastard!” the third youth cried and rushed him.
Keogh’s left hand came out of his pocket holding the Walther and he slashed the youth across the face, splitting the cheek from the left eye to the corner of the mouth. He raised the gun and fired, the distinctive muted cough of the silenced weapon flat in the rain.
Baseball Cap was on his knees, the other clutching his cheek, blood pouring through his fingers. Pat
stood there, rage on his face.
“You bloody swine!”
“It’s been said before.” Keogh touched him be- IO
tween the eyes with the silenced end of the Walther.
“Not another word or I’ll kill you.”
The youth froze. Kathleen Ryan was pulling her skirt down. Keogh said, “Back to that cafe of yours, girl. I’ll see you soon.”
She hesitated, staring at him, then turned and ran away along the alley. THERE WAS ONLY THE RAIN NOW AND THE groans of the injured, pat said wildly, “We did what you told us to do. Why this?” :
“Oh, no,” Keogh said. “I told you to frighten the girl a little and then I’d come and’save her.” He found a cigarett one-handed and lit it. “And what were we into? Gang rape.”
“She’s a dirty little Prod. Who cares?”
“I do,” Keogh told him. “And I’m a Catholic.
You give us a bad name.”
Pat rushed him. Keogh swayed to one side, tripping him with his right foot, and dropped oaeknee down
hard in his back. Pat lay there sobbing’in the rain.
Keogh said, “You need a lesson, son.”
He jammed the muzzle of the Walther against the youth’s thigh and pulled the trigger. There was a muted report and Pat cried out.
Keogh stood up. “Only a flesh wound. It could have been your kneecap.”
Pat was sobbing now. “Damn you!”
“Taken care of a long time ago.” Keogh took an envelope from his pocket and dropped it down. “Five hundred quid, that was the price. Now get yourself I I
to the Royal Victoria Casualty Department. Best in the world for gunshot wounds, but then they get a lot of experience.”
He walked away, whistling the same eerie little tune, and left them there in the rain. WHEN HE REACHED THE CAFE, THERE WERE NO longer any customers, but he could see Kathleen Ryan and the woman Mary standing behind the counter. The girl was on the telephone. Keogh tried the door, but it was locked. Kathleen Ryan turned as the door rattled and nodded to Mary, who came from behind the counter and unlocked it.