‘Leave it out, Eric. I’ve got this.’ Carver held up the five hundred pounds. ‘And I want the rest of it. Then he gets squeezed. I didn’t like that IRA crack he made at all. Very naughty. Now get out of it. I want to make a phone call.’
Mary was sitting quietly watching the dancers when
Devlin joined her. ‘Did it go all right with Carver?’ she asked.
‘I’d rather shake hands with the Devil. That little rat I chastised turned out to be his brother, Eric.
Would you like to go now?’
‘All right. I’ll get my coat and see you in the foyer.’ When they went out it was raining. She took his arm and they walked down the wet pavements towards the main road. There was an alley to the right and as they approached it, Eric Carver and George stepped out, blocking the way.
‘Saw you leaving. Thought we’d say goodnight,’ Eric said.
‘Mother of God!’ Devlin put the girl to one side.
‘Go on, George, do him up,’ Eric cried.
‘A pleasure.’ George came in, enjoying himself.
Devlin simply stepped to the left and stamped sideways at his knee-cap. George screamed in agony, doubled over and Devlin raised a knee into his face. ‘Didn’t they teach you that one, George?’
Eric backed away in terror. Devlin took Mary’s arm and walked past him. ‘Now where were we?’
Jack Carver said, ‘I told you to leave it out, Eric. You never learn.’
‘The bastard’s half crippled George. Dislodged his knee-cap. I had to take him to Dr Aziz round the corner.’
‘Never mind George, I phoned Morrie Green. He knows more about surplus military equipment than any man in London.’
‘Does he have this radio the little bastard wanted?’
‘No, but he can get one. No trouble. He’ll drop it in tomorrow. The interesting thing is what he said about it. It’s no ordinary radio. Sort of thing the Army would use operating behind enemy lines.’
Eric looked bewildered. ‘But what’s it mean, Jack?’
‘That there’s a lot more to that little sod than meets the eye. I’m going to have some fun with him tomorrow night.’ Carver laughed harshly. ‘Now pour me a Scotch.’
Devlin and Mary took the turning down to Harrow Street.
‘Shall I try and get a cab?’ he asked.
‘Oh, no, it’s not much more than a mile and a half and I like walking in the rain.’ She kept her hand lightly on his arm. ‘You’re very quick, Mr Devlin, you don’t hesitate. Back there, I mean.’
‘Yes, well I never could see the point.’
They walked in companionable silence for a while alongside the river towards Wapping. There was a heavy mist on the Thames and a large cargo boat slipped past them, green and red navigation lights plain in spite of the blackout.
‘I’d love to be like that boat,’ she said. ‘Going to sea, to far away, distant places, something different every day.’
‘Jesus, girl, you’re only nineteen. It’s all waiting for you out there and this bloody war can’t last for ever.’
They paused in the shelter of a wall while he lit a cigarette. She said, ‘I wish we had time to walk all the way down to the Embankment.’
Too far surely?’
‘I saw a film once. I think it was Fred Astaire. He walked along the Embankment with a girl and his chauffeur followed along behind in a Rolls-Royce.’
‘And you liked that?’
‘It was very romantic.’
‘Ah, there’s a woman for you.’
They turned along Cable Wharf and paused on the little terrace before going into the house.
‘I’ve had a lovely time.’
He laughed out loud. ‘You must be joking, girl.’
‘No, really. I like being with you.’
She still held his arm and leaned against him. He put his other arm around her and they stayed there for a moment, rain glistening as it fell through the shaded light above the door. He felt a sudden dreadful sadness for everything there had never been in his life, remembering a girl in Norfolk just like Mary Ryan, a girl he had hurt very badly indeed.
He sighed and Mary looked up. ‘What is it?’